# data[].attributes.body
My professional perspective is working as an instructional coach in which I will assist teachers to find the best practices to teach all students, especially students with dyslexia. Dyslexia is a disorder of neurological in origin  manifested by the specific learning difficulties involving poor reading, writing, spelling and decoding abilities and affects 80% of students with learning disabilities (Hudson, n.d). Therefore, contributing to the growth of a dyslexic learner is a wonderful experience teaching. This Legal Guide Padlet is served as a resource guide for elementary teachers to understand the requirements to work with dyslexic students as well as the most current practices. I chose this topic since working with dyslexic students is a challenging task that elementary teachers often seek more knowledge and guidance for helping these students become successful learners.
Reference:

Hudson, F., High, L., Otaiba, S.(n.d). Dyslexia and the brain: what does current research tell us? The Reading Teacher. 60(6) 506-515. Retrieved from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/dyslexia-and-brain-what-does-current-research-tell-us

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Developmental dyslexia and how it relates to brain function are complicated topics that researchers have been studying since dyslexia was first described over a hundred years ago.

W. Pringle Morgan (cited in Shaywitz, 1996), a doctor in Sussex, England, described the puzzling case of a boy in the British Medical Journal: "Percy ... aged 14 ... has always been a bright and intelligent boy, quick at games, and in no way inferior to others of his age. His great difficulty has been - and is now - his inability to read" (p. 98).

Almost every teacher in the United States has at least one student who could fit the same description written so many years ago. This situation leads many school personnel to wonder why their articulate, clearly bright student has so many problems with what appears to be a simple task - reading a text that everyone else seems to easily comprehend.

Having information about the likely explanation for and potential cause of the student's difficulties often relieves teachers' fears and uncertainties about how to teach the student and how to think about providing instruction that is relevant and effective. Current research on dyslexia and the brain provide the most up-to-date information available about the problems faced by over 2.8 million school-aged children.

When talking with teachers about their students who struggle with reading, we have encountered similar types of questions from teachers. They often wonder, What is dyslexia? What does brain research tell us about reading problems and what does this information mean for classroom instruction?

The purpose of this article is to explain the answers to these questions and provide foundational knowledge that will lead to a firmer understanding of the underlying characteristics of students with dyslexia. A greater understanding of the current brain research and how it relates to students with dyslexia is important in education and will help teachers understand and evaluate possible instructional interventions to help their students succeed in the classroom.

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is an often-misunderstood, confusing term for reading problems. The word dyslexia is made up of two different parts: dys meaning not or difficult, and lexia meaning words, reading, or language. So quite literally, dyslexia means difficulty with words (Catts & Kamhi, 2005).

Despite the many confusions and misunderstandings, the term dyslexia is commonly used by medical personnel, researchers, and clinicians. One of the most common misunderstandings about this condition is that dyslexia is a problem of letter or word reversals ( b/ d, was/ saw) or of letters, words, or sentences "dancing around" on the page (Rayner, Foorman, Perfetti, Pesetsky, & Seidenberg, 2001).

In fact, writing and reading letters and words backwards are common in the early stages of learning to read and write among average and dyslexic children alike, and the presence of reversals may or may not indicate an underlying reading problem. See Table 1 for explanations of this and other common misunderstandings.

One of the most complete definitions of dyslexia comes from over 20 years of research:

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. (Lyon, Shaywitz, & Shaywitz, 2003, p. 2)

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability in reading that often affects spelling as well. In fact, reading disability is the most widely known and most carefully studied of the learning disabilities, affecting 80% of all those designated as learning disabled. Because of this, we will use the terms dyslexia and reading disabilities (RD) interchangeably in this article to describe the students of interest.

It is neurobiological in origin, meaning that the problem is located physically in the brain. Dyslexia is not caused by poverty, developmental delay, speech or hearing impairments, or learning a second language, although those conditions may put a child more at risk for developing a reading disability (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998).

Children with dyslexia will often show two obvious difficulties when asked to read text at their grade level. First, they will not be able to read as many of the words in a text by sight as average readers. There will be many words on which they stumble, guess at, or attempt to "sound out." This is the problem with "fluent word recognition" identified in the previous definition.

Second, they will often show decoding difficulties, meaning that their attempts to identify words they do not know will produce many errors. They will not be very accurate in using letter-sound relationships in combination with context to identify unknown words.

These problems in word recognition are due to an underlying deficit in the sound component of language that makes it very difficult for readers to connect letters and sounds in order to decode. People with dyslexia often have trouble comprehending what they read because of the great difficulty they experience in accessing the printed words.

What areas of the brain relate to language and reading?

The human brain is a complex organ that has many different functions. It controls the body and receives, analyzes, and stores information.

The brain can be divided down the middle lengthwise into a right and a left hemisphere. Most of the areas responsible for speech, language processing, and reading are in the left hemisphere, and for this reason we will focus all of our descriptions and figures on the left side of the brain. Within each hemisphere, we find the following four brain lobes (see Figure 1).

Excerpted from Teaching Reading Sourcebook, Third Edition. Honig B., Diamond L. & Gutlohn, L. (© 2018 by CORE)

The frontal lobe is the largest and responsible for controlling speech, reasoning, planning, regulating emotions, and consciousness. In the 19th century, Paul Broca was exploring areas of the brain used for language and noticed a particular part of the brain that was impaired in a man whose speech became limited after a stroke. This area received more and more attention, and today we know that Broca's area, located here in the frontal lobe, is important for the organization, production, and manipulation of language and speech (Joseph, Noble, & Eden, 2001). Areas of the frontal lobe are also important for silent reading proficiency (Shaywitz et al., 2002).

The parietal lobe is located farther back in the brain and controls sensory perceptions as well as linking spoken and written language to memory to give it meaning so we can understand what we hear and read.

The occipital lobe, found at the back of the head, is where the primary visual cortex is located. Among other types of visual perception, the visual cortex is important in the identification of letters.

The temporal lobe is located in the lower part of the brain, parallel with the ears, and is involved in verbal memory.
Wernicke's area, long known to be important in understanding language (Joseph et al., 2001), is located here. This region, identified by Carl Wernicke at about the same time and using the same methods as Broca, is critical in language processing and reading.

In addition, converging evidence suggests that two other systems, which process language within and between lobes, are important for reading.

The first is the left parietotemporal system that appears to be involved in word analysis - the conscious, effortful decoding of words (Shaywitz et al., 2002). This region is critical in the process of mapping letters and written words onto their sound correspondences - letter sounds and spoken words (Heim & Keil, 2004). This area is also important for comprehending written and spoken language (Joseph et al., 2001).

The second system that is important for reading is the left occipitotemporal area. This system seems to be involved in automatic, rapid access to whole words and is a critical area for skilled, fluent reading (Shaywitz et al., 2002, 2004).

What does brain imaging research tell us about dyslexia?

Structural brain differences

Studies of structural differences in the brains of people of all ages show differences between people with and without reading disabilities.

The brain is chiefly made up of two types of material: gray matter and white matter. Gray matter is what we see when we look at a brain and is mostly composed of nerve cells. Its primary function is processing information.

White matter is found within the deeper parts of the brain, and is composed of connective fibers covered in myelin, the coating designed to facilitate communication between nerves. White matter is primarily responsible for information transfer around the brain.

Booth and Burman (2001) found that people with dyslexia have less gray matter in the left parietotemporal area (Area A in Figure 2) than nondyslexic individuals. Having less gray matter in this region of the brain could lead to problems processing the sound structure of language (phonological awareness).

Many people with dyslexia also have less white matter in this same area than average readers, which is important because more white matter is correlated with increased reading skill (Deutsch, Dougherty, Bammer, Siok, Gabrieli, & Wandell, 2005). Having less white matter could lessen the ability or efficiency of the regions of the brain to communicate with one another.

Other structural analyses of the brains of people with and without RD have found differences in hemispherical asymmetry. Specifically, most brains of right-handed, nondyslexic people are asymmetrical with the left hemisphere being larger than the same area on the right.

In contrast, Heim and Keil (2004) found that right-handed people with dyslexia show a pattern of symmetry (right equals left) or asymmetry in the other direction (right larger than left). The exact cause of these size differences is the subject of ongoing research, but they seem to be implicated in the reading and spelling problems of people with dyslexia.

Functional brain differences

We lack space here for a detailed explanation of imaging techniques. For excellent descriptions of several techniques, readers are directed to Papanicolaou, Pugh, Simos, and Mencl (2004) and Richards (2001).

One commonly used method for imaging brain function is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a noninvasive, relatively new method that measures physiological signs of neural activation using a strong magnet to pinpoint blood flow. This technique is called "functional" because participants perform tasks while in (or under) the magnet, allowing measurement of the functioning brain rather than the activity of the brain at rest.

Several studies using functional imaging techniques that compared the brain activation patterns of readers with and without dyslexia show potentially important patterns of differences. We might expect that readers with RD would show underactivation in areas where they are weaker and overactivation in other areas in order to compensate, and that is exactly what many researchers have found (e.g., Shaywitz et al., 1998).

This type of functional imaging research has just begun to be used with children. This is in part because of the challenges involved in imaging children, including the absolute need for the participant's head to remain motionless during the scanning.

We will present the largest, best-specified study as an example of these new findings with children. Shaywitz et al. (2002) studied 144 righthanded children with and without RD on a variety of in- and out-of-magnet tasks. They compared brain activation between the two groups of children on tasks designed to tap several component processes of reading:

identifying the names or sounds of letters

sounding out nonsense words

sounding out and comparing meanings of real words

The nonimpaired readers had more activation in all of the areas known to be important for reading than the children with dyslexia.

Shaywitz et al. (2002) also found that the children who were good decoders had more activation in the areas important for reading in the left hemisphere and less in the right hemisphere than the children with RD.

They suggested that for children with RD, disruption in the rear reading systems in the left hemisphere that are critical for skilled, fluent reading (Area B in Figure 2) leads the children to try and compensate by using other, less efficient systems (Area A in Figure 2 and systems in the right hemisphere).

This finding could explain the common experience in school that even as children with dyslexia develop into accurate readers, their reading in grade-level text is often still slow and labored without any fluency (e.g., Torgesen, Rashotte, & Alexander, 2001).

In summary, the brain of a person with dyslexia has a different distribution of metabolic activation than the brain of a person without reading problems when accomplishing the same language task. There is a failure of the left hemisphere rear brain systems to function properly during reading.

Furthermore, many people with dyslexia often show greater activation in the lower frontal areas of the brain. This leads to the conclusion that neural systems in frontal regions may compensate for the disruption in the posterior area (Shaywitz et al., 2003). This information often leads educators to wonder whether brain imaging can be used as a diagnostic tool to identify children with reading disabilities in school.

Can we screen everyone who has reading difficulties?

Not yet. It is an appealing vision of putting a child we are concerned about in an fMRI machine to quickly and accurately identify his or her problem, but research has not taken us that far.

There are several reasons why a clinical or school-based use of imaging techniques to identify children with dyslexia is not currently feasible. One is the enormous cost of fMRI machines, the computers, and the software needed to run them. Another part of the cost is the staff that is needed to run and interpret the results.

Also, in order for this technology to be used for diagnosis, it needs to be accurate for individuals. Currently, results are reliable and reported for groups of participants, but not necessarily for individuals within each group (Richards, 2001; Shaywitz et al., 2002).

The number of children who would be identified as being average when they really have a problem (false negatives) or as having a problem when they are average (false positives) would need to be significantly lower for imaging techniques to be used for diagnosis of individual children.

Can dyslexia be cured?

In a word, no. Dyslexia is a lifelong condition that affects people into old age. However, that does not mean that instruction cannot remediate some of the difficulties people with dyslexia have with written language. A large body of evidence shows what types of instruction struggling readers need to be successful (e.g., National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000; Snow et al., 1998; Torgesen, 2000).

Now researchers can also "look" inside the brains of children before and after an intensive intervention and see for the first time the effects of the intervention on the brain activity of children with RD. The following are two such studies.

Aylward et al. (2003) imaged 10 children with dyslexia and 11 average readers before and after a 28-hour intervention that only the students with dyslexia received. They compared the two groups of students on out-of-magnet reading tests as well as the level of activation during tasks of identifying letter sounds.

They found that while the control children showed no differences between the two imagings, the students who received the treatment showed a significant increase in activation in the areas important for reading and language during the phonological task. Before the intervention, the children with RD showed significant underactivation in these areas as compared to the control children, and after the treatment their profiles were very similar.

These results must be viewed with caution because of several limitations. One limitation is the lack of specificity about the intervention that was provided, another is the small sample size, and the last is the lack of an experimental control group (i.e., a group of children with RD who did not receive the treatment). Without an experimental control group, we cannot be certain that the intervention caused the changes found in the brain activation because of so many other possible explanations.

Shaywitz et al. (2004) addressed these limitations in their investigation of brain activation changes before and after an intervention. They studied 78 second and third graders with reading disabilities who were randomly assigned to three groups:

the experimental intervention

school-based remedial programs

control

A summary of the instructional intervention is provided in Table 2 and a full and detailed description of the intervention and out-of-magnet reading assessments can be found in Blachman et al. (2004).

Before the intervention, all groups looked similar in their brain activity, but immediately after the intervention the experimental and control groups had increased activation in the left hemispheric regions important for reading.

One year after intervention, the experimental group showed increased activity in the occipito-temporal region important for automatic, fluent reading (Area B in Figure 2), while at both time points the level of compensatory activation in the right hemisphere decreased.

Shaywitz et al. (2002) concluded, "These findings indicate that ... the use of an evidence-based phonologic reading intervention facilitates the development of those fast-paced neural systems that underlie skilled reading" (p. 931).

Important considerations to keep in mind about the brain research

While research advances have allowed us to look more closely within the brain for the first time and revealed important information about how and where we think during reading, there are important considerations that must be remembered.

One is that with the exception of the research by B.E. Shaywitz, S. Shaywitz, and their colleagues, the sample sizes in each study are very small. The evidence from these small studies is converging into results that are reliable, but the results may change as more and more participants are included in the research base. This is especially true with children where both the number of studies and the sample sizes are quite small.

Second, we must consider the type of task being used in the magnet. Because of the requirement that the person's head not move during the imaging, researchers are not able to study people actually reading aloud. Instead, they give tasks that require the person to read silently and then make a decision that he or she indicates with a push button (e.g., Do the letters t and v rhyme? Do leat and jete rhyme?).

Because the researchers have worked carefully on these tasks and have specified the particular process that is being measured, we can trust their conclusions about what the activation levels mean; however, the tasks are quite removed from natural classroom reading and should not be interpreted as if they were the same. The area of brain research is developing rapidly; technological advances are being made that will address these issues as time goes on.

Recommendations for teachers

What does all of this information mean for school personnel and their students? Once teachers understand the underlying processes and causes of reading disabilities, they can use this information as they work with students and their families. The following are specific recommendations based on the neurological research:

Adequate assessment of language processing is important in determining why students struggle to learn to read.
Dyslexia, or reading disability, is a disorder of the language processing systems in the brain. Specific information about exactly what sorts of weaknesses are present is needed in order to determine the appropriate instruction to meet each student's needs.

Imaging research confirms that simple tasks can more reliably be interpreted as "red flags" suggesting that a young child may be at risk for dyslexia.

It is vital to begin using screening and progress monitoring procedures early on to measure children's understanding of sounds in speech, letter sounds in words, and fluent word recognition. Using such assessment in an ongoing way throughout a child's school career can help teachers know what skills to teach and whether a child is developing these skills.

Explicit, intense, systematic instruction in the sound structure of language (phonemic awareness) and in how sounds relate to letters (phonics) is needed for readers with dyslexia.

Imaging research confirmed that instruction in the alphabetic principle caused distinct differences in brain activation patterns in the students with RD (Shaywitz et al., 2004). Keep in mind that the intervention was explicit, intense, long term, and specifically focused on phonological processing, phonics, and fluency.

The roles of motivation and fear of failing are important when discussing reading problems.

Students do not struggle simply because they are not trying hard enough. They may have a brain difference that requires them to be taught in a more intense fashion than their peers. Without intense intervention, low motivation may develop as students try to avoid a difficult and painful task.

School personnel can use their knowledge of the neurological characteristics and basis of dyslexia to help their students understand their strengths and weaknesses around reading and language.

Understanding a possible reason why they find something difficult that no one else seems to struggle with may help relieve some of the mystery and negative feelings that many people with a disability feel. Sharing our knowledge of brain research may demystify dyslexia and help students and their parents realize that language processing is only one of many talents that they have and that they are not "stupid," they simply process language differently than their peers.

Recommendations for parents

The identification of a child with dyslexia is a difficult time for parents and teachers. We suggest that teachers can help parents learn more about their child's difficulty in the following ways:

Teachers can share information about the student's specific areas of weakness and strength and help parents realize the underlying causes of their child's difficulty.
This conversation can also include information about how to help their child use areas of strength to support areas of weakness.

It is critical to help parents get clear about what dyslexia is and is not.

Sharing the common misconceptions and the correct information found in Table 1 with parents may help clear up any confusion that may exist.

Early intervention with intense, explicit instruction is critical for helping students avoid the lifelong consequences of poor reading.

Engaging parents early in the process of identifying what programs and services are best for their child will ensure greater levels of success and cooperation between home and school.

There are many organizations devoted to supporting individuals with RD and their families.

Accessing the knowledge, support, and advocacy of these organizations is critical for many families. A list of several large organizations to share with parents can be found in Table 3.

Finally, teachers can often best help families by simply listening to the parents and their concerns for their children.

Understanding a disability label and what that means for the future of their child is a very emotional process for parents and many times teachers can help by providing a sympathetic ear as well as information.

Imaging research has demonstrated that the brains of people with dyslexia show different, less efficient, patterns of processing (including under and over activation) during tasks involving sounds in speech and letter sounds in words. Understanding this has the potential to increase the confidence teachers feel when designing and carrying out instruction for their students with dyslexia.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dyslexia and the Brain: What Does Current Research Tell Us?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The identification of a child with dyslexia is a difficult process, but there are ways that parents and teachers can learn more about the reading difficulty and support the child's learning.

# data[].attributes.body
I have interviewed with Mrs. Crystella Morales, principle of TLCA Elementary School at San Anglo TX, about her experiences in working with dyslexic students in the school.
https://www.tlca-sanangelo.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=578087&type=u

As a principal, Mrs. Morales shared her experiences related to dyslexic students in which the legal guide is a good resource for elementary teachers to seek out the best practices or updated on legal issues related to working with dyslexic students since they have a vital role to recognize early warning signs of dyslexia and help to provide early interventions to unlock dyslexic students' achievement. Dyslexic students are most commonly associated with trouble learning to read, but if teachers provide proper instructions, with the guidance of tested strategies with the need of reading intervention in the primary years, these students can improve on their reading ability and become high achievers.
Best Practices
1) Conduct multi-sensory instructions in reading interventions to engage students with activities such as writing words with tactile materials (glitter glue, sand...), physical activities to practice spelling, scavenger hunts for letters and words.

2) Using technology and tools during reading interventions help the children strengthen their confidence in writing, spelling, and reading such as pocket spell checkers, line readers, colored keyboards, and enlarged words.

3) Using accommodations for dyslexic students with oral administration for tests, extra time for tests, extra break, a sheet of key concepts that will cover through out the lesson, give extra time to complete homework, and grade based on their effort and idea.
Emerging Issues
Developmental dyslexia and how it relates to brain function is a complicated topic that researchers have been studying since dyslexia was first described over a hundred years ago. According to U.S news, the scientists from Georgetown University Medical Center reports their new findings about the cerebellum, which is a brain structure traditionally involved in dyslexia-related reading problems. The researchers reflect that the cerebellum does not affect reading ability in students with dyslexia through the results of functional MRI to monitor brain activation while reading. This new study could lead to improved treatment of dyslexia and help refine models of dyslexia. Importantly, these findings might help assisting educators and parents of dyslexic students to find the better effective practices or treatments (Preidt, 2019).

Resources:

Preidt, R. (2019, October 10). New finding challenges old notions about dyslexia. U.S News. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2019-10-10/new-finding-challenges-old-notions-about-dyslexia

# data[].attributes.headline
Slide #3: K12-ASCD Professional Association

# data[].attributes.subject
Slide #3: K12-ASCD Professional Association

# data[].attributes.body
Fernette Eide (2017) posted an article about how teachers recognize dyslexia’s strength in the classroom to modify their teaching strategies so that it would benefit dyslexic students in their lifetime learning.

The author stated that dyslexia is just a learning difference with distinctive strengths and specific preferences in modes of learning that teachers need to be aware of. Teachers should create a classroom culture toward the importance of trying hard to learn on reading interventions. Also, Eide pointed out teachers should understand the Dyslexia MIND Strengths so that they know how to teach and foster emotionally healthy school experiences for dyslexic students. Teachers can impact the dyslexic students’ lives by providing the appropriate teaching approaches through visualization, drawing, storytelling, and multisensory techniques (Eide, 2017).
Reference:
Eide, F. (2017, April). Recognizing Dyslexia's strength in the classroom. Differences, not Disabilities. 74(7). Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr17/vol74/num07/Recognizing-Dyslexia's-Strengths-in-the-Classroom.aspx

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
April 2017 | Volume 74 | Number 7
Differences, Not Disabilities

Fernette Eide

It's not hard to see why this change in perception has taken place. Dyslexics are overrepresented in innovative professional groups such as entrepreneurs, engineers, and designers (Lemon and Shah, 2014; Logan, 2009; Wolff & Lundberg, 2002). The top designer at Apple, Google's first chief information officer, the highest-grossing film director of all time, and the inventor of the first compact disk are all dyslexic.

Along with revelations that dyslexia-associated differences in brain wiring can be associated with advanced abilities as well as difficulties comes new research showing that dyslexia-related differences can be seen in children before they start reading (Vandermosten, Hoeft, & Norton, 2016). In light of such findings, experts are increasingly arguing that dyslexia is more appropriately conceived of as a difference rather than a disease, disorder, or even disability (Armstrong, 2015; Eide & Eide, 2011; Rae, 2013; Rothstein, 2012; Schneps, 2014; Venton, 2011).

A Preference for Deeper Learning

But for students with dyslexia to develop their unique capabilities and not become demoralized in school, teachers need to be aware of their needs and preferences. As a group, for example, dyslexic students may be more negatively affected than other students by classroom cultures oriented around rigid definitions of "performance." In a recent study, for example, researchers studying elementary school students in Greece found that classroom cultures characterized by statements like "In our class, getting good grades is the main goal" can have deleterious effects on the reading achievement of students with learning disabilities, creating a "maladaptive motivational context" (Sideridis, Stamovlasis, & Antoniou, 2015). By contrast, classroom cultures that emphasized the importance of working toward mastery of content ("In our class, trying hard is important") were found to have a positive effect on the reading performance of students with disabilities.

Researchers have found that, at the college level, students with dyslexia benefit from "deep" approaches to learning such as evaluation, organization, discrimination and extrapolation (Dupre, Gilroy, & Miles, 2008). Dyslexic college students are also more likely to use study aids, such as marking and underlining texts, mindmapping, and participating in study groups, compared with their non-dyslexic peers. It may be that college students with dyslexia develop these strategies because reading and rote memory are effortful for them. Regardless, such compensatory strategies can become strengths, and students' adoption of them can be seen as "evidence of a commitment to high-quality educational outcomes" (Kirby et al., 2008).

In an unpublished review of more than 100 dyslexia students (ages 7-17) tested in our private practice learning clinic, we found a typical "discrepant" pattern showing high scores in creative and higher-order thinking tasks such as recognizing verbal similarities (fluid verbal reasoning) or matrix reasoning (fluid nonverbal reasoning) (Eide & Eide, 2014). As a group, dyslexic students had lower than average scores in processing speed, spelling, and timed recalling of basic math facts. Understanding the cognitive peaks and valleys associated dyslexia is a key to understanding how to teach dyslexic students, as well as how to foster emotionally healthy school experiences to nurture their growth.

Cultivating Unique Aptitudes

For our book, The Dyslexic Advantage, Brock L. Eide and I reviewed an extensive body of research literature that dates back to the first clinical case of dyslexia in 1896. We also interviewed many adult dyslexics (some of whom were parents of the children we were testing in our clinic). From this information, we identified clusters of abilities and career aptitudes among dyslexics. We summarized these as Dyslexic MIND Strengths. Here's a breakdown of what we found, along with some tips on how teachers can give students opportunities to cultivate and exhibit these aptitudes:

M-strengths are abilities that help individuals reason about the physical or material world. They consist primarily of abilities in areas that can be termed spatial reasoning. Some of the most famous buildings in the world (like Lloyd's of London and the Sydney Opera House) were designed by people with dyslexia, while dyslexics are overrepresented in schools of engineering (Lemon & Shah, 2014). In experimental studies, dyslexics have also been shown to outperform nondyslexics on tests of spatial rotation and navigation (Attree, Turner, & Cowell, 2009; Von Karolyi, 2001).

In the classroom, teachers can support their students' M-strengths by using manipulatives to present concepts and by providing hands-on projects that make learning memorable. Evidence-based multisensory instruction, such as outlined in the Orton-Gillingham reading program (Rose & Zirkel, 2007), generally involves the use of many different hands-on learning activities and physical objects to help students breakdown and visualize new information. Multisensory learning is not just for the early grades and reading; it's also valuable for instruction in mathematics, science, and foreign languages.

I-strengths, or interconnected reasoning, help individuals see how different ideas, objects, or experiences are alike. I-strengths help people see things, people, and events from different points of view. I-strengths are valuable in any type of creative activity, including inventing or designing a product, writing a novel, or making scientific discoveries. Teachers can foster I-strengths in students by allowing them to think from unconventional perspectives, study phenomena that combine disciplines, and exercise their creative, divergent thinking. Sandra Kaplan's Depth and Complexity framework, for example, may have been designed with gifted and talented students in mind, but many aspects of this interdisciplinary curricula work well with dyslexic thinkers.

N-strengths, or narrative reasoning, help individuals construct a series of mental scenes that can be used to recall the past, explain the present, or simulate a future or some other place. N-strengths can be seen in the work of Pulitzer Prize- and Nobel Prize- winning dyslexic poets and authors like Philip Schultz and Octavia Butler, as well as in the groundbreaking films of Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton. Teachers can foster dyslexic students' N-strengths by recognizing that the challenge for many of them lies in translating the vivid stories in their heads into written words. To do this, they need time, organizational strategies that seem natural to their ways of thinking (for example, mindmapping, talking before writing, or drawing), and assistive technology like word prediction, speech-to-text, and spellcheck where needed. N-strengths can also be a helpful support for lessons that require a great deal of rote memory. In general, dyslexic students learn well with elaboration and context. Mnemonics used to help students memorize facts by rote often use colorful stories to make the information memorable.

Finally D-strengths, or dynamic reasoning, are abilities that involve seeing patterns and trends that can help make predictions about the future. D-strengths are very strong in entrepreneurs, inventors, and successful businessmen and women, and dyslexic people are prominent among successful entrepreneurs in the United States (Logan, 2009). (Dyslexic men and women helped found such famous businesses as Kinkos, Virgin America, IKEA, and The Body Shop.) Teachers can foster the D-strengths of dyslexic students by giving them opportunities to deal with complex systems that change over time. Fields like geology and paleontology are commonly associated with the use of dynamic reasoning, but social networks, complex games, and the study of history and culture also provide opportunities for students to exercise and leverage their skills in this area.

Focusing on the Dyslexic MIND strengths is not just about giving students opportunities to excel. These strengths can also be harnessed in the classroom to support students with dyslexia in areas in which they commonly struggle, such as rote memorization, reading, and writing. An MIT group recently reported on neural-adaptation differences between dyslexic and non-dyslexic subjects that could help explain why students with dyslexia struggle with conventional approaches to instruction (Perrachione et al., 2016). The findings give further weight to the argument that providing alternative modes of learning-through visualization, drawing, storytelling, and multisensory techniques-may improve dyslexic students' access to curriculum content.

The Power of Teacher Awareness

By developing an awareness of dyslexic students' strengths and unique needs, teachers can make powerful changes in the course of these students' lives. Listen to this recollection of a dyslexic individual who is now an adult:

I would spend ... all evening studying for a spelling test. I had a teacher who would call students up to pick up their paper starting with the lowest scores first. When my name was called out first, people would point and laugh like it was a big joke. I knew I was trying really really hard so I thought I must be a stupid kid.

He credits two high school teachers with turning him around in school:

In high school there was a revolution in my brain ... I had 2 teachers, one history and the other biology-[who] TURNED ME AROUND. They told me I HAD GOOD IDEAS-I just couldn't spell them right. That was huge for me. They opened the door, I went through, and started running (Eide & Eide, 2011).

This individual, Jack Laws, went on to graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, then to finish a master's degree in wildlife biology. He is the author of Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada and, more recently, Laws Guide to Drawing Birds-despite the fact that he still struggles with spelling. It's not a stretch to say that he owes his success in part to teachers who recognized his condition as a difference as opposed to an insurmountable obstacle to learning.

Dyslexic students can be found in every classroom, although many may not be formally identified as such. Teachers have tremendous potential to affect these students at a time when they are at greatest risk for low self-esteem and underachievement. As the Irish poet-and probable dyslexic-William Butler Yeats is said to have stated, "Education is not a filling of a bucket, but a lighting of a fire." By attending to dyslexic students' unique strengths as well as their challenges, teachers can light that fire in these students' lives.

References

Armstrong, T. (2015). The myth of the normal brain: Embracing neurodiversity. AMA Journal of Ethics, 17(4), 348.

Attree, E. A., Turner, M. J., & Cowell, N. (2009). A virtual reality test identifies the visuospatial strengths of adolescents with dyslexia. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12(2), 163-168.

Dupre, L., Gilroy, D., & Miles, T. (2008). Dyslexia at college (3rd edition). London: Routledge.

Eide, B. L., & Eide, F. F. (2011). The dyslexic advantage: Unlocking the hidden potential of the dyslexic brain. New York: Hudson Street Press.

Eide, B. L., & Eide, F. F. (2014). Unpublished clinical study.

Kirby, J., Silvestri, R., Allingham, B., Parrila, R., & Fave, L. (2008). Learning strategies and study approaches of postsecondary students with dyslexia. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41(1), 85-96.

Lemon, T. I., & Shah, R. D. (2014). Dyslexia in high performers: A study across 4 degree disciplines. European Psychiatry, 29(1), 1.

Logan, J. (2009). Dyslexic entrepreneurs: The incidence; their coping strategies and their business skills. Dyslexia, 15(4), 328-346.

Morgan, P. W. (1896). A case of congenital word blindness. British Medical Journal, 2(1871), 1378.

Perrachione, T. K., Del Tufo, S. N., Winter, R., Murtagh, J., Cyr, A., Chang, P., et al. (2016). Dysfunction of rapid neural adaptation in dyslexia. Neuron, 92(6), 1383-1397.

Rae, C. (2013). Dyslexia: A difference, not a disability. Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved from www.independent.com/news/2013/nov/20/dyslexia-difference-not-disability

Rose, T. E., & Zirkel, P. (2007). Orton-Gillingham methodology for students with reading disabilities: 30 years of case law. The Journal of Special Education, 41(3), 171-185.

Rothstein, A. (2012). Mental disorder or neurodiversity? The New Atlantis, 36, 99-115.

Schneps, M. H. (2014). The advantages of dyslexia. Scientific American. Retrieved from www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-advantages-of-dyslexia

Sideridis, G. D., Stamovlasis, D., & Antoniou, F. (2015). Reading achievement, mastery, and performance goal structures among students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 49(6), 631-643.

Vandermosten, M., Hoeft, F., & Norton, E. (2016). Integrating MRI brain imaging studies of pre-reading children with current theories of developmental dyslexia: A review and quantitative meta-analysis. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 10, 155-161.

Venton, D. (2011). The unappreciated benefits of dyslexia. Wired. Retrieved from www.wired.com/2011/09/dyslexic-advantage

Von Károlyi, C. (2001). Visual-spatial strength in dyslexia. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 34(4), 380-391.

Wolff, U., & Lundberg, I. (2002). The prevalence of dyslexia among art students. Dyslexia, 8(1), 34-42.

Fernette Eide is cofounder, with her husband, Brock L. Eide, of Dyslexic Advantage, a nonprofit that promotes the positive identity, education, and achievement of people with dyslexia. She has been a consultant to the President's Council on Bioethics and a visiting lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Recognizing Dyslexia's Strengths in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
April 2017 | Volume 74 | Number 7 Differences, Not Disabilities Fernette Eide It's not hard to see why this change in perception has taken place. Dyslexics are overrepresented in innovative professional groups such as entrepreneurs, engineers, and designers (Lemon and Shah, 2014; Logan, 2009; Wolff & Lundberg, 2002).

# data[].attributes.body
This article is about the important role of teachers who understand the nature of the dyslexic students to set the expectation and twist their teaching methods for the success of students.
Redford (2016) posted an article about the Senate Committee on Education that hosted a hearing  with testimony of a panel of top medical experts, parents of dyslexics, and individuals with dyslexia to break the damaging cycle of low expectations related to dyslexia. The article mentions the impact of high expectations of teachers to push the dyslexic students to believe in themselves on high capacity for achievement. It was crucial for teachers to be clear about dyslexia, which is a mechanical disability, not an intellectual one, so that teachers can support and apply appropriate accommodations to hold dyslexic students’ accountable for their learning. Educating teachers about dyslexia with awareness of the accommodations that help dyslexics access information and express themselves was a major key to impact dyslexic students on thriving on their challenges and believing in their potential (Redford,2016).
Reference:
Redford, K. (2016, May 16). Dyslexia and the power of teacher expectations. Education Week Teacher. Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/reaching-all-students/2016/05/_last_week_the_senate.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Last week, The Senate Committee on Education hosted a hearing entitled "Understanding Dyslexia: The Intersection of Scientific Research and Education." Testimony by a panel of top medical experts, parents of dyslexics, and individuals with dyslexia was both heartbreaking and illuminating. It was clear that we have a long way to go in translating the existing science to best support dyslexia identification and intervention in our schools. But perhaps the most haunting theme the panelists highlighted was the dire need to break the damaging cycle of low expectations related to dyslexia (the medical experts on the panel referenced dyslexia as the most common learning disability, impacting up to 15-20% of students).

David Boies, arguably one of the most prominent Constitutional attorneys of our time - a dyslexic himself - summed the issue up beautifully when he poignantly argued that we must "help {dyslexic} children understand that they are not dumb. They are not stupid. But they can achieve, and that can be sometimes the most important thing that a child can understand." To do that, we need to make sure that all teachers understand the way dyslexia works; what it impacts and what it does not. After all, how can students understand their condition if their teachers and schools do not understand it?

As teachers we know that our expectations of students are often self-fulfilling. When imagining what they are capable of accomplishing, students commonly take their cues from us. It is distressing and humbling to realize we possess this kind of unearned power, but we do. Handled well, our expectations can positively influence students as they develop an internalized sense of possibility. However, if this power is mismanaged, we can unintentionally reinforce student fears about their intellectual potential.

See also: Don't Wait: Six Simple Ways to Support Your Struggling Learners Tomorrow

Because of the oft-confusing learning profile that distinguishes many dyslexic students, the expectations of teachers can be even more complicated - and influential. Dyslexia is defined as an unexpected difficulty learning to read. Students with dyslexia are impacted by a gap between their intellectual level and their reading level. The condition also effects other school-related skills. Consequently, dyslexics struggle with many of the activities that make up a school day (spelling, writing, and reading). Tragically, those daily academic struggles can inform some bleak and discouraging internal conversations. Dyslexics look around the room and see that certain basic skills come more easily to their peers and they commonly make the unsurprising, yet erroneous, determination that school is not for them. To reinforce this cycle further, their humiliating struggles can lead to an all-out retreat from class participation and assignments, furthering the idea that they have low capacity for achievement.

It is critical that teachers of students with dyslexia can see below the iceberg: All teachers need to understand that dyslexia is a mechanical disability, not an intellectual one. Many dyslexics are actually gifted when it comes to processing information, formulating ideas, and making connections. Without that understanding, it is impossible for teachers to engage in clarifying and hopeful conversations with their students regarding their ability to learn and achieve in school. Teachers also need to know about the powerful role that accommodations and supports can play in unleashing the capacity of dyslexic students to thrive. Simple tools and adjustments like employing audiobooks, using speech-to-text and predictive spelling apps, and allowing extra time on assessments can be game-changers for students with dyslexia. But if teachers don't know the potential that lurks below their struggling student's symptoms, they may not explore these possibilities.

Sometimes students can make a significant leap and discover their potential through the removal of a single academic obstacle. For example, this fall I encouraged one of my bright but struggling dyslexic students to try audio books (with synched text and speech). I explained that it would allow her to read at her intellectual level instead of her lower reading level. Although initially skeptical and reluctant, she ultimately agreed to try them. The impact of the switch was stunning and immediate. She quickly went from avoiding books to donning her reading headphones during every spare moment. More importantly, this transformation was not limited to her reading. It impacted the way she saw herself as a thinker and a student. All of her teachers noticed growth in the quality and volume of her writing, her participation in discussions, and in the clarity of her expression. She walked with more confidence. She talked with more confidence. She smiled more and missed school less. Her newfound sense of potential also spurred her to self-advocate for other academic accommodations. All of these observed gains by her teachers were recently confirmed when her spring standardized test scores highlighted significant academic progress in nearly every area.

All that student growth took place without one expensive intervention. A student believed she could, so she did. With dyslexic students dropping out of school at dramatically higher rates than non-dyslexics, educating teachers about dyslexia is an urgent issue. While experts continue to debate with policy-makers about the best way to identify dyslexia and deliver critical cost-effective reading interventions, teachers do not need to wait to make a huge impact. By simply increasing their awareness of the condition and the accommodations that can help dyslexics access information and express themselves, many students will be able to better understand, contain and work around their challenges. But in order to do the extra work necessary to overcome their academic hurdles, dyslexics need to believe in their potential. That is where teacher expectations can make a pivotal difference.
Photo: Taken from C-Span website coverage of the testimony: The Senate Committee on Education hosted a hearing entitled "Understanding Dyslexia: The Intersection of Scientific Research and Education" on May 10. 2016 (from left to right: Dr. Sally Shaywitz, Ameer Baraka, Dr. Guenevere Eden, David Boies, Dr. Mark Mahone, April Hanrath)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dyslexia and the Power of Teacher Expectations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Last week, The Senate Committee on Education hosted a hearing entitled "Understanding Dyslexia: The Intersection of Scientific Research and Education." Testimony by a panel of top medical experts, parents of dyslexics, and individuals with dyslexia was both heartbreaking and illuminating.

# data[].attributes.body
Swaby (2018) posted about Margiotta, mother of a thirteen year old dyslexic boy, who had a long fighting for her dyslexic son to get high-quality teachers and effective programs for his grade reading levels. The mother claimed that her son had passed his early intensive reading instruction that would help remediation. The article reflected that the state did not invest enough on training teachers or having consistent standards to help dyslexic students in the early stages (K-2). The school districts also were lacking funding on training knowledge and qualified staff to serve the struggling learners on both general and special educations. After an investigation, the U.S. Department of Education had claimed that Texas violated federal law by denying thousands of children with disabilities the tools and assistance which they need to learn including putting away many eligible dyslexic students from federal funded special education services.Those issues have had great impact on how the Texas Education Agency would monitor and provide schools with a long-term funding plan (Swaby, 2018).
Reference:
Swaby, A. (2018, Feb. 26). After federal probe, parents say Texas districts lack funding, staff to help kids with dyslexia. The Texas Tribune. Retrieved from: https://www.texastribune.org/2018/02/26/texas-services-dyslexia-students/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
*Clarification appended
When Katharine Margiotta and her family go out to eat, she has to read restaurant menus to her 13-year-old son, who struggles to write letters of the alphabet and guesses most words in his reading assignments.

Any teacher should immediately realize he has dyslexia, the most common learning disability, she said. Yet she's been fighting for years to get Austin ISD to provide high-quality services to help her son learn to read. Now her son is in seventh grade - much older than the age studies say intensive reading instruction is likely to help remediate the disorder - and extremely frustrated with battling his way through classes.

"Even with the best case scenario, if he got exactly what he needs right now, he's going to be different than he could have been," she said. "He used to want to be an engineer. Now, he sometimes tells me this is his last year of school."

For years, Margiotta has been fighting to connect her son with the qualified teachers and dyslexia-specific programs he needs to read at the same level as his peers. A self-employed real estate broker, she said she is not able to work full-time because of the considerable demands of advocating for her son.

She's had to learn an overly complex educational system that forces countless parents to become legal and policy experts and hold educators accountable for following federal law in a state that hasn't invested in properly training teachers or setting consistent standards for helping dyslexic students.

After a 15-month investigation, the U.S. Department of Education found in January that Texas had effectively capped federally-funded special education services for at least a decade, denying thousands of kids with disabilities the tools and assistance they need to learn. The report said the ambiguity in the state's policy on dyslexia may have directed some eligible students away from federally-funded special education services, violating federal law.

The Texas Education Agency rolled out a preliminary plan last month that would revise state policy on dyslexia so Texas could get back in compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. In 1985, Texas became the first state to pass a law requiring school districts to screen and treat students with dyslexia, back when federal law didn't address the scores of kids with mild to moderate dyslexia falling through the cracks. So what happened in the last three decades?

Many parents and advocates argue that Texas has not updated its guidelines for schools to reflect recent, more progressive federal policy around how to best serve kids with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. But more importantly, they say, school districts lack the funding, knowledge and qualified staff necessary to target struggling learners in both special and general education when they're young and haven't yet given up on reading.

"It's my opinion that if teachers really really understood, they would be making changes [in the way they teach students with dyslexia] on their own," said Marilyn Hagle, a former teacher and parent of two kids with dyslexia. "The understanding isn't there."

History influences current policy

Back in the 1980s, federal law provided no guidance for how to help students with mild to moderate dyslexia, leaving those students to fend for themselves in the education system.

Geraldine "Tincy" Miller, a State Board of Education member representing part of North Texas, advocated for the first state dyslexia law in the nation in 1985, mandating students at all grade levels get screened and treated for dyslexia.

Miller's son had a form of dyslexia that affected his ability to learn to write. But he wasn't diagnosed until he was 19, much too late for the school system to help him.

"The regular education, mild to moderate children, have historically not been served and fell through the cracks and none were identified," she said. "Our law in 1985 was specifically designated for kids who were left in the regular classroom."

But it was, and still is, an unfunded mandate. The state never provided money for the new services, forcing districts to find the money in their own budgets.

In 1992, Miller led the charge to create the first state dyslexia handbook, most recently updated in 2014, providing educators and parents with an overview of state and federal requirements for kids with dyslexia. But Miller said parents still call her in tears because schools aren't identifying their children as dyslexic and offering help.

"It shocks me that after all these years ... that [schools] would still want to misinterpret the law," she said.

The confusion around dyslexia isn't a problem isolated to Texas. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidance reminding states that students with dyslexia are eligible for federally-funded services.

At a recent hearing at the State Board of Education, Miller agreed with parents and advocates who testified that if the state handbook's guidance was unclear, it should be corrected immediately. The board plans to revise the handbook by summer.

But she said the Texas Education Agency's plan to monitor and correct how schools are serving students is unrealistic without a long-term plan for funding it. Last year, lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would have provided schools with extra money for each child diagnosed with dyslexia.

"When you don't have money identified per child ... it isn't going anywhere, I'm sorry," Miller said.

Ultimately, Miller said, parents have to serve as a consistent force for holding their schools accountable. "It will go somewhere if parents in that school district get together, like a [parent teacher association]. They have more influence than they can ever, ever imagine."

Section 504 vs. special ed

Margiotta first noticed her son's trouble with words in pre-K, when other kids began to read and write their first letters and he could not - the start of a years-long battle.

When she asked school officials to test him for dyslexia in kindergarten, she was told they didn't generally test students until second grade - a policy that violates state and federal law. Ultimately, his symptoms were so severe that school officials tested him in the middle of first grade and diagnosed him with dyslexia, then decided to keep him in general education.

But the school's reading specialist could not fit him into her schedule, and he failed to make progress in second grade, Margiotta said.

"He was dramatically behind his peers," she said. Finally, she successfully pushed district officials to evaluate him for special education at the end of third grade, and they worked together to create an individualized plan to help him catch up. She said she had no idea he might have been eligible for special education for his dyslexia in kindergarten.

Federal special education law lists dyslexia as an example of a "specific learning disability," one of a dozen disability categories it covers. Students may be eligible for federally-funded services if they lack reading comprehension skills or the basic ability to read.

Loading...

The law requires schools to evaluate students for special education when teachers or parents suspect they may have a learning disability that warrants the additional services.

Students with varying levels of dyslexia are eligible for special education and can receive services and tools to access the curriculum, such as voice dictation technology or help from an aide. They can receive that help in regular classes or in separate special education classes, and their parents are guaranteed certain legal rights to collaborate on the school's decisions.

Many Texas educators told federal investigators they interpreted state policy to mean that students couldn't qualify for special education unless they had a second disability along with dyslexia. But that interpretation of policy violates federal law, the January federal report says.

Many educators lack training to know when they should refer struggling learners to special education. A student with dyslexia could be directed through drastically different plans of action depending on his or her individual district, school or even teacher.

The result: Most Texas students with dyslexia don't get the more-intensive services provided under federal law, including some students who may need them. About 141,000 Texas students in 2015-16 received services for dyslexia, but just 20 percent of those students received federally-funded special education, according to the federal monitoring report.

The other 80 percent of students with dyslexia receive services in regular classrooms through a broader federal civil rights provision called "Section 504," which comes with no state or federal funding and few requirements for parental input or consent.

"I saw the way that schools were funneling parents into 504 plans for dyslexia, basically allowing them to offer whatever they deemed they were going to offer for dyslexia," said Robbi Cooper, a parent-turned-advocate who leads the state chapter of advocacy group Decoding Dyslexia. "There was no parental involvement, unless it was given lip service."

The state's general education dyslexia program is intended to give students with mild to moderate dyslexia targeted instruction so they can make academic progress.

This year, 61 percent of Austin ISD students with dyslexia are in the state's general education dyslexia program, said Jean Bahney, the district's special education director. The district has trained 200 teachers to recognize and help kids with dyslexia and has 67 certified academic language therapists, each serving one campus, who work primarily in general education classes, she said.

But not every district invests those kinds of resources into its general education programs. Texas does not regulate who is allowed to teach students with dyslexia, or what reading programs they should use, leaving those decisions up to individual districts and schools.

Stephen Yearout, a parent of two sons with dyslexia, said he had to wait three weeks to get his son small-group intensive reading instruction in Garland ISD's general education dyslexia program because the district didn't have enough staff. Some of the programs available are taught by support staff, not certified reading specialists.

"How are you going to take a child that needs somebody that is highly educated on language and reading and give them a teacher's aide?" Yearout said.

'I can't believe I'm still fighting'

Despite advocates' push to get federally-funded services for more students who need them, some say special education does not guarantee a good education for students with dyslexia because many schools don't have properly trained staff.

Many experts say how students are being taught matters more than whether they are in special education or general education.

"If they're not taught by a certified dyslexia professional or with the proper instruction, it isn't going to matter where they are," said Courtney Hoffman, a lobbyist for the Academic Language Therapy Association.

Jack Fletcher, a University of Houston learning disability researcher who played a big role in creating both federal and state special education law, said special education alone can't solve the achievement gap for kids with disabilities.

"It takes both general education and special education working together to do that," Fletcher said. "Kids with dyslexia learn to read just like other kids do," just with more intensive instruction.

Ideally, he said, schools would offer a "continuum of integrated services" instead of strictly dividing general education and special education.

After her son was put in special education in fourth grade, Margiotta asked if he could still be taught by a qualified reading specialist or dyslexia specialist. The school's principal said that giving him access to the trained staff in general education when he qualified for special education would be considered "double dipping," she said. Her request was denied.

That goes against Austin ISD policy, said Bahney, who became special education director in 2016. She said all kids in special education should have access to whatever resources they need, including specialized teachers.

Margiotta is still pushing for the right individualized program that will help her son progress academically. Last year, he mostly learned from computer-based programs instead of from a trained teacher.

She fought to get him 30 minutes four times a week of direct, small group reading instruction intended for kids with dyslexia. When he is not being pulled out for special instruction, he gets extra time to complete assignments, assisted technology, small group testing and individualized reminders to stay on task.

Even after Margiotta hired an attorney to help her negotiate with the district, she is still confused about what he is learning in his one-on-one sessions.

Under federal special education law, she has the legal right to a formal complaint process if she disagrees with how district officials choose to educate her son. She has meetings with district officials as many as six times per year, most involving lawyers.

"I can't believe I'm still fighting for basic services for a child of this age," she said.

Margiotta said her son is now feeling too old for some of the services that could help him access more of the curriculum. He doesn't want an aide to attend classes with him.

"That's part of the problem now is that he didn't get the intensive science research-based remediation that he needed," she said. "Now he's resistant to the help because he wants to be independent. It's hard to know what I want right now for him, because some of it's too late."
Clarification: This story was updated to clarify that students with different levels of dyslexia are eligible for special education. The University of Houston has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
After federal probe, parents say Texas districts lack funding, staff to help kids with dyslexia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Clarification appended When Katharine Margiotta and her family go out to eat, she has to read restaurant menus to her 13-year-old son, who struggles to write letters of the alphabet and guesses most words in his reading assignments. Any teacher should immediately realize he has dyslexia, the most common learning disability, she said.

# data[].attributes.headline
Slide #6: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC § 794) – Federal Statutory Law 

# data[].attributes.subject
Slide #6: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC § 794) – Federal Statutory Law 

# data[].attributes.body
This federal statutory law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in programs that received federal funding. In school districts and charter schools, this act required that educators cannot serve students with dyslexia differently than other students and must provide reasonable accommodations to students with Dyslexia to access instruction and school activities including a free and appropriate public education. In general, all students with physical, mental, developmental, and emotional disabilities are covered by Section 504 (29 USC § 794).

Link to law: https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title29/chapter16/subchapter5&edition=prelim
Reference:
The Rehabilitation Act, 29 USC § 794.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
SUBCHAPTER V-RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY

Section, Pub. L. 93-112, title V, §500, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 390, related to effects on existing law, references in other provisions, availability of unexpended appropriations, savings provision, and extension of appropriations.

§791. Employment of individuals with disabilities

(a) Interagency Committee on Employees who are Individuals with Disabilities; establishment; membership; co-chairmen; availability of other Committee resources; purpose and functions

There is established within the Federal Government an Interagency Committee on Employees who are Individuals with Disabilities (hereinafter in this section referred to as the "Committee"), comprised of such members as the President may select, including the following (or their designees whose positions are Executive Level IV or higher): the Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (hereafter in this section referred to as the "Commission"), the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Either the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Chairman of the Commission shall serve as co-chairpersons of the Committee or the Director or Chairman shall serve as the sole chairperson of the Committee, as the Director and Chairman jointly determine, from time to time, to be appropriate. The resources of the President's Disability Employment Partnership Board and the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities shall be made fully available to the Committee. It shall be the purpose and function of the Committee (1) to provide a focus for Federal and other employment of individuals with disabilities, and to review, on a periodic basis, in cooperation with the Commission, the adequacy of hiring, placement, and advancement practices with respect to individuals with disabilities, by each department, agency, and instrumentality in the executive branch of Government and the Smithsonian Institution, and to insure that the special needs of such individuals are being met; and (2) to consult with the Commission to assist the Commission to carry out its responsibilities under subsections (b), (c), and (d) of this section. On the basis of such review and consultation, the Committee shall periodically make to the Commission such recommendations for legislative and administrative changes as it deems necessary or desirable. The Commission shall timely transmit to the appropriate committees of Congress any such recommendations.

(b) Federal agencies; affirmative action program plans

Each department, agency, and instrumentality (including the United States Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission) in the executive branch and the Smithsonian Institution shall, within one hundred and eighty days after September 26, 1973, submit to the Commission and to the Committee an affirmative action program plan for the hiring, placement, and advancement of individuals with disabilities in such department, agency, instrumentality, or Institution. Such plan shall include a description of the extent to which and methods whereby the special needs of employees who are individuals with disabilities are being met. Such plan shall be updated annually, and shall be reviewed annually and approved by the Commission, if the Commission determines, after consultation with the Committee, that such plan provides sufficient assurances, procedures and commitments to provide adequate hiring, placement, and advancement opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

(c) State agencies; rehabilitated individuals, employment

The Commission, after consultation with the Committee, shall develop and recommend to the Secretary for referral to the appropriate State agencies, policies and procedures which will facilitate the hiring, placement, and advancement in employment of individuals who have received rehabilitation services under State vocational rehabilitation programs, veterans' programs, or any other program for individuals with disabilities, including the promotion of job opportunities for such individuals. The Secretary shall encourage such State agencies to adopt and implement such policies and procedures.

(d) Report to Congressional committees

The Commission, after consultation with the Committee, shall, on June 30, 1974, and at the end of each subsequent fiscal year, make a complete report to the appropriate committees of the Congress with respect to the practices of and achievements in hiring, placement, and advancement of individuals with disabilities by each department, agency, and instrumentality and the Smithsonian Institution and the effectiveness of the affirmative action programs required by subsection (b) of this section, together with recommendations as to legislation which have been submitted to the Commission under subsection (a) of this section, or other appropriate action to insure the adequacy of such practices. Such report shall also include an evaluation by the Committee of the effectiveness of the activities of the Commission under subsections (b) and (c) of this section.

(e) Federal work experience without pay; non-Federal status

An individual who, as a part of an individualized plan for employment under a State plan approved under this chapter, participates in a program of unpaid work experience in a Federal agency, shall not, by reason thereof, be considered to be a Federal employee or to be subject to the provisions of law relating to Federal employment, including those relating to hours of work, rates of compensation, leave, unemployment compensation, and Federal employee benefits.

(f) Standards used in determining violation of section

The standards used to determine whether this section has been violated in a complaint alleging nonaffirmative action employment discrimination under this section shall be the standards applied under title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12111 et seq.) and the provisions of sections 501 through 504, and 510, of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12201-12204 and 12210), as such sections relate to employment.

(Pub. L. 93-112, title V, §501, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 390; Pub. L. 98-221, title I, §104(b)(3), Feb. 22, 1984, 98 Stat. 18; Pub. L. 99-506, title I, §103(d)(2)(C), title X, §§1001(f)(1), 1002(e)(1), (2)(A), Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1810, 1843, 1844; Pub. L. 100-630, title II, §206(a), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 3310; Pub. L. 102-54, §13(k)(1)(B), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 276; Pub. L. 102-569, title I, §102(p)(29), title V, §503, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4360, 4424; Pub. L. 103-73, title I, §112(a), Aug. 11, 1993, 107 Stat. 727; Pub. L. 105-220, title III, §341(c), title IV, §408(a)(1), Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1092, 1202; Pub. L. 109-435, title VI, §604(d), Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 3242; Pub. L. 111-256, §2(d)(3), Oct. 5, 2010, 124 Stat. 2643; Pub. L. 113-128, title IV, §456(a), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1675.)

References in Text

Level IV of the Executive Schedule, referred to in subsec. (a), is set out in section 5315 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (f), is Pub. L. 101-336, July 26, 1990, 104 Stat. 327. Title I of the Act is classified generally to subchapter I (§12111 et seq.) of chapter 126 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Section 510 of the Act was renumbered section 511 by Pub. L. 110-325, §6(a)(2), Sept. 25, 2008, 122 Stat. 3558. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 12101 of Title 42 and Tables.

Prior Provisions

Prior similar provisions were set out in section 38 of this title.

Amendments

2014-Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 113-128 redesignated subsec. (g) as (f) and struck out former subsec. (f). Prior to amendment, text of subsec. (f) read as follows:

"(1) The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education are authorized and directed to cooperate with the President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities in carrying out its functions.

"(2) In selecting personnel to fill all positions on the President's Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities, special consideration shall be given to qualified individuals with disabilities."

2010-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111-256 substituted "President's Disability Employment Partnership Board and the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities" for "President's Committees on Employment of People With Disabilities and on Mental Retardation".

2006-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109-435, §604(d), substituted "Postal Regulatory Commission" for "Postal Rate Office".

1998-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105-220, §408(a)(1)(A), substituted "President's Committees on Employment of People With Disabilities" for "President's Committees on Employment of the Handicapped" in third sentence.

Pub. L. 105-220, §341(c)(1), inserted "and the Smithsonian Institution" after "Government" in fourth sentence.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105-220, §341(c)(2), in first sentence, inserted "and the Smithsonian Institution" after "in the executive branch" and substituted "such department, agency, instrumentality, or Institution" for "such department, agency, or instrumentality".

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105-220, §341(c)(3), inserted "and the Smithsonian Institution" after "instrumentality".

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105-220, §408(a)(1)(B), substituted "individualized plan for employment" for "individualized written rehabilitation program".

1993-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-73 in first sentence inserted comma after "Veterans Affairs".

1992- Pub. L. 102-569, §102(p)(29)(A), substituted "disabilities" for "handicaps" in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102-569, §503(a), substituted "the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs" for "the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and", and amended second sentence generally. Prior to amendment, second sentence read as follows: "The Secretary of Education and the Chairman of the Commission shall serve as co-chairpersons of the Committee."

Pub. L. 102-569, §102(p)(29)(B), (C), substituted "Interagency Committee on Employees who are Individuals with Disabilities" for "Interagency Committee on Handicapped Employees" and "individuals with disabilities" for "individuals with handicaps" in two places.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102-569, §102(p)(29)(C), (D), substituted "individuals with disabilities" for "individuals with handicaps" after "advancement of" and after "opportunities for" and "employees who are individuals with disabilities" for "employees with handicaps".

Subsecs. (c), (d), (f)(2). Pub. L. 102-569, §102(p)(29)(C), substituted "individuals with disabilities" for "individuals with handicaps".

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 102-569, §503(b), added subsec. (g).

1991-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102-54 substituted "Secretary of Veterans Affairs" for "Administrator of Veterans' Affairs".

1988-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(a)(3)(C), which directed substitution of "Employment of People With Disabilities" for "Employment of the Handicapped" in second sentence, could not be executed because the words did not appear in second sentence.

Pub. L. 100-630, §206(a)(1)-(3)(B), (4), inserted "(hereafter in this section referred to as the 'Commission')" after first reference to "Equal Employment Opportunity Commission" and substituted "Commission" for "Equal Opportunity Employment Commission" wherever appearing, "Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services" for "Secretaries of Labor and Education and Health and Human Services" in first sentence, "co-chairpersons" for "co-chairmen" in second sentence, and "Commission" for "Office" in cl. (2).

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(a)(2), (5), substituted "submit to the Commission" for "submit to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission", "employees with handicaps" for "handicapped employees", and "Commission, if the Commission determines" for "Office, if the Office determines".

Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(a)(2), substituted "Commission" for "Equal Opportunity Employment Commission" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(a)(6), substituted "an individualized" for "a individualized".

Subsec. (f)(1), (2). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(a)(7), substituted "Employment of People With Disabilities" for "Employment of the Handicapped".

1986- Pub. L. 99-506, §103(d)(2)(C), substituted "individuals with handicaps" for "handicapped individuals" in section catchline.

Subsecs. (a) to (c). Pub. L. 99-506, §§103(d)(2)(C), 1002(e)(1), substituted "Equal Employment Opportunity Commission" for "Office of Personnel Management" and "individuals with handicaps" for "handicapped individuals" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99-506, §§103(d)(2)(C), 1002(e)(1), (2)(A), substituted "Equal Employment Opportunity Commission" for "Office of Personnel Management" wherever appearing, "individuals with handicaps" for "handicapped individuals", and "of the activities" for "of the the activities".

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99-506, §1001(f)(1), substituted "a individualized" for "his individualized".

Subsec. (f)(2). Pub. L. 99-506, §103(d)(2)(C), substituted "individuals with handicaps" for "handicapped individuals".

1984-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98-221, §104(b)(3)(A)-(D), substituted "the Chairman of the Office of Personnel Management" and "Education and Health and Human Services" for "the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission" and "Health, Education, and Welfare", respectively, in first sentence, "Secretary of Education and the Chairman of the Office of Personnel Management" for "Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission" in second sentence, "Office of Personnel Management" for "Civil Service Commission" in four places, and "Office" for "Commission".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98-221, §104(b)(3)(C), (D), substituted "Office of Personnel Management" for "Civil Service Commission" and substituted "Office" for "Commission" in three places.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98-221, §104(b)(3)(C), substituted "Office of Personnel Management" for "Civil Service Commission".

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 98-221, §104(b)(3)(C), (E), substituted "Office of Personnel Management" for "Civil Service Commission" in two places and "the activities of the Office of Personnel Management" for "Civil Service Commission's activities".

Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 98-221, §104(b)(3)(F), substituted "Secretary of Education" for "Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare".

Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Effective Date of 1992 Amendment

Pub. L. 102-569, title I, §138, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4397, as amended by Pub. L. 103-73, title I, §102(3), Aug. 11, 1993, 107 Stat. 718, provided that:

"(a) Effective Date.-Except as provided in subsection (b), this title [enacting sections 718 to 718b, 725 to 728a, and 740 to 744 of this title, amending this section and sections 701, 705 to 707, 709, 711 to 715, 717, 720 to 724, 730 to 732, 740, 741, 750, 761a to 762, 770, 772 to 776, 777a, 777b, 777d to 777f, 780, 781, 783, 792 to 794, 795, 795d, 795e, and 795h of this title, repealing section 752 of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under section 712 of this title, and amending provisions set out as a note under section 701 of this title] and the amendments made by this title shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 29, 1992].

"(b) Compliance.-Each State agency subject to the provisions of title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [ 29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.] shall comply with the amendments made by this subtitle [subtitle B (§§121-138) of title I of Pub. L. 102-569, enacting sections 725 to 728a and 740 to 744 of this title, amending sections 705, 720 to 724, and 730 to 732 of this title, and repealing section 752 of this title], as soon as is practicable after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 29, 1992], consistent with the effective and efficient administration of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [ 29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.], but not later than October 1, 1993."

Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

Pub. L. 99-506, title X, §1006, Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1846, provided that: "Except as otherwise provided in this Act [see Short Title of 1986 Amendment note set out under section 701 of this title], this Act shall take effect on the date of its enactment [Oct. 21, 1986]."

Termination of Reporting Requirements

For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions of law requiring submittal to Congress of any annual, semiannual, or other regular periodic report listed in House Document No. 103-7 (in which reports required under subsecs. (a) and (d) of this section are listed on page 188), see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104-66, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance.

Executive Order No. 10640

Ex. Ord. No. 10640, Oct. 10, 1955, 20 F.R. 7717, formerly set out as a note under section 39 of this title, which related to President's Committee on Employment of the Physically Handicapped, was superseded by section 6(a) of Ex. Ord. No. 10994, Feb. 14, 1962, 27 F.R. 1447, which established President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped.

Executive Order No. 10994

Ex. Ord. No. 10994, Feb. 14, 1962, 27 F.R. 1447, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 11018, Apr. 27, 1962, 27 F.R. 4143, which established the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, was superseded by Ex. Ord. No. 11480, Sept. 9, 1969, 34 F.R. 14273, formerly set out below.

Executive Order No. 11480

Ex. Ord. No. 11480, Sept. 9, 1969, 34 F.R. 14273, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 12106, Dec. 26, 1978, 44 F.R. 1053; Ex. Ord. No. 12608, Sept. 9, 1987, 52 F.R. 34617, which established and provided for the functions of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, was superseded by Ex. Ord. No. 12640, May 10, 1988, 53 F.R. 16996, formerly set out below.

Ex. Ord. No. 11830. Enlarging Membership of Interagency Committee on Handicapped Employees

Ex. Ord. No. 11830, Jan. 9, 1975, 40 F.R. 2411, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 12106, Dec. 26, 1978, 44 F.R. 1053; Ex. Ord. No. 12450, Dec. 9, 1983, 48 F.R. 55409; Ex. Ord. No. 12672, Mar. 21, 1989, 54 F.R. 12167; Ex. Ord. No. 12704, §1, Feb. 26, 1990, 55 F.R. 6969, provided:

By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 501(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ( Public Law 93-112; 87 Stat. 390) [subsec. (a) of this section], it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. In accord with Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ( 29 U.S.C. 791) and Section 4 of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 (43 FR 19808) [set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees], the Interagency Committee on Handicapped Employees is enlarged and composed of the following, or their designees whose positions are Executive level IV or higher:

(1) Secretary of Defense.

(2) Secretary of Labor.

(3) Secretary of Education, Co-Chairman.

(4) Director of the Office of Personnel Management.

(5) Administrator of Veterans Affairs.

(6) Administrator of General Services.

(7) Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

(8) Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Co-Chairman.

(9) Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(10) Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service.

(11) Chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (Ex Officio).

(12) Such other members as the President may designate.

Sec. 2. The Interagency Committee on Handicapped Employees shall also be referred to as the Interagency Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities.

Executive Order No. 12640

Ex. Ord. No. 12640, May 10, 1988, 53 F.R. 16996, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 12945, Jan. 20, 1995, 60 F.R. 4527, which established the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the Executive Committee of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, and the Advisory Council on Employment of People with Disabilities, and provided for the membership, functions, and administration of those bodies, and superseded Ex. Ord. No. 11480, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 13187, §4(a), Jan. 10, 2001, 66 F.R. 3858, set out as a note under section 701 of this title.

Ex. Ord. No. 13163. Increasing the Opportunity for Individuals With Disabilities To Be Employed in the Federal Government

Ex. Ord. No. 13163, July 26, 2000, 65 F.R. 46563, provided:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to promote an increase in the opportunities for individuals with disabilities to be employed at all levels and occupations of the Federal Government, and to support the goals articulated in section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ( 29 U.S.C. 791), it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Increasing the Federal Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities. (a) Recent evidence demonstrates that, throughout the United States, qualified persons with disabilities have been refused employment despite their availability and qualifications, and many qualified persons with disabilities are never made aware of available employment opportunities. Evidence also suggests that increased efforts at outreach, and increased understanding of the reasonable accommodations available for persons with disabilities, will permit persons with disabilities to compete for employment on a more level playing field.

(b) Based on current hiring patterns and anticipated increases from expanded outreach efforts and appropriate accommodations, the Federal Government, over the next 5 years, will be able to hire 100,000 qualified individuals with disabilities. In furtherance of such efforts, Federal agencies shall:

(1) Use available hiring authorities, consistent with statutes, regulations, and prior Executive orders and Presidential Memoranda;

(2) Expand their outreach efforts, using both traditional and nontraditional methods; and

(3) Increase their efforts to accommodate individuals with disabilities.

(c) As a model employer, the Federal Government will take the lead in educating the public about employment opportunities available for individuals with disabilities.

(d) This order does not require agencies to create new positions or to change existing qualification standards for any position.

Sec. 2. Implementation. Each Federal agency shall prepare a plan to increase the opportunities for individuals with disabilities to be employed in the agency. Each agency shall submit that plan to the Office of Personnel Management within 60 days from the date of this order.

Sec. 3. Authority to Develop Guidance. The Office of Personnel Management shall develop guidance on the provisions of this order to increase the opportunities for individuals with disabilities employed in the Federal Government.

Sec. 4. Judicial Review. This order is intended only to improve the internal management of the executive branch and does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party against the United States, its agencies, its officers, its employees, or any person.

William J. Clinton.

Ex. Ord. No. 13164. Requiring Federal Agencies To Establish Procedures To Facilitate the Provision of Reasonable Accommodation

Ex. Ord. No. 13164, July 26, 2000, 65 F.R. 46565, provided:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ( 29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.), as amended, and in order to promote a model Federal workplace that provides reasonable accommodation for (1) individuals with disabilities in the application process for Federal employment; (2) Federal employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a position; and (3) Federal employees with disabilities to enjoy benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by employees without disabilities, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Establishment of Effective Written Procedures to Facilitate the Provision of Reasonable Accommodation. (a) Each Federal agency shall establish effective written procedures for processing requests for reasonable accommodation by employees and applicants with disabilities. The written procedures may allow different components of an agency to tailor their procedures as necessary to ensure the expeditious processing of requests.

(b) As set forth in Re-charting the Course: The First Report of the Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities (1998), effective written procedures for processing requests for reasonable accommodation should include the following:

(1) Explain that an employee or job applicant may initiate a request for reasonable accommodation orally or in writing. If the agency requires an applicant or employee to complete a reasonable accommodation request form for recordkeeping purposes, the form must be provided as an attachment to the agency's written procedures;

(2) Explain how the agency will process a request for reasonable accommodation, and from whom the individual will receive a final decision;

(3) Designate a time period during which reasonable accommodation requests will be granted or denied, absent extenuating circumstances. Time limits for decision making should be as short as reasonably possible;

(4) Explain the responsibility of the employee or applicant to provide appropriate medical information related to the functional impairment at issue and the requested accommodation where the disability and/or need for accommodation is not obvious;

(5) Explain the agency's right to request relevant supplemental medical information if the information submitted does not clearly explain the nature of the disability, or the need for the reasonable accommodation, or does not otherwise clarify how the requested accommodation will assist the employee to perform the essential functions of the job or to enjoy the benefits and privileges of the workplace;

(6) Explain the agency's right to have medical information reviewed by a medical expert of the agency's choosing at the agency's expense;

(7) Provide that reassignment will be considered as a reasonable accommodation if the agency determines that no other reasonable accommodation will permit the employee with a disability to perform the essential functions of his or her current position;

(8) Provide that reasonable accommodation denials be in writing and specify the reasons for denial;

(9) Ensure that agencies' systems of recordkeeping track the processing of requests for reasonable accommodation and maintain the confidentiality of medical information received in accordance with applicable law and regulations; and

(10) Encourage the use of informal dispute resolution processes to allow individuals with disabilities to obtain prompt reconsideration of denials of reasonable accommodation. Agencies must also inform individuals with disabilities that they have the right to file complaints in the Equal Employment Opportunity process and other statutory processes, as appropriate, if their requests for reasonable accommodation are denied.

Sec. 2. Submission of Agency Reasonable Accommodation Procedures to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Within 1 year from the date of this order, each agency shall submit its procedures to the EEOC. Each agency shall also submit to the EEOC any modifications to its reasonable accommodation procedures at the time that those modifications are adopted.

Sec. 3. Collective Bargaining Obligations. In adopting their reasonable accommodation procedures, agencies must honor their obligations to notify their collective bargaining representatives and bargain over such procedures to the extent required by law.

Sec. 4. Implementation. The EEOC shall issue guidance for the implementation of this order within 90 days from the date of this order.

Sec. 5. Construction and Judicial Review. (a) Nothing in this order limits the rights that individuals with disabilities may have under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

(b) This order is intended only to improve the internal management of the executive branch and does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party against the United States, its agencies, its officers, its employees, or any person.

William J. Clinton.

Ex. Ord. No. 13548. Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals With Disabilities

Ex. Ord. No. 13548, July 26, 2010, 75 F.R. 45039, provided:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to establish the Federal Government as a model employer of individuals with disabilities, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. Approximately 54 million Americans are living with a disability. The Federal Government has an important interest in reducing discrimination against Americans living with a disability, in eliminating the stigma associated with disability, and in encouraging Americans with disabilities to seek employment in the Federal workforce. Yet Americans with disabilities have an employment rate far lower than that of Americans without disabilities, and they are underrepresented in the Federal workforce. Individuals with disabilities currently represent just over 5 percent of the nearly 2.5 million people in the Federal workforce, and individuals with targeted disabilities (as defined below) currently represent less than 1 percent of that workforce.

On July 26, 2000, in the final year of his administration, President Clinton signed Executive Order 13163, calling for an additional 100,000 individuals with disabilities to be employed by the Federal Government over 5 years. Yet few steps were taken to implement that Executive Order in subsequent years.

As the Nation's largest employer, the Federal Government must become a model for the employment of individuals with disabilities. Executive departments and agencies (agencies) must improve their efforts to employ workers with disabilities through increased recruitment, hiring, and retention of these individuals. My Administration is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in the Federal workforce through compliance with Executive Order 13163 and achievement of the goals set forth therein over 5 years, including specific goals for hiring individuals with targeted disabilities.

Sec. 2. Recruitment and Hiring of Individuals with Disabilities. (a) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, the Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall design model recruitment and hiring strategies for agencies seeking to increase their employment of people with disabilities and develop mandatory training programs for both human resources personnel and hiring managers on the employment of individuals with disabilities.

(b) Within 120 days of the date the Office of Personnel Management sets forth strategies and programs required under subsection (a), each agency shall develop an agency-specific plan for promoting employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The plan shall be developed in consultation with and, as appropriate, subject to approval by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and shall, consistent with law, include performance targets and numerical goals for employment of individuals with disabilities and sub-goals for employment of individuals with targeted disabilities.

(c) Each agency shall designate a senior-level agency official to be accountable for enhancing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and individuals with targeted disabilities within the agency, consistent with law, and for meeting the goals of this order. This official, among other things, shall be accountable for developing and implementing the agency's plan under subsection (b), creating recruitment and training programs for employment of individuals with disabilities and targeted disabilities, and coordinating employment counseling to help match the career aspirations of individuals with disabilities to the needs of the agency.

(d) In implementing their plans, agencies, to the extent permitted by law, shall increase utilization of the Federal Government's Schedule A excepted service hiring authority for persons with disabilities and increase participation of individuals with disabilities in internships, fellowships, and training and mentoring programs.

(e) The Office of Personnel Management shall assist agencies with the implementation of their plans. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall implement a system for reporting regularly to the President, the heads of agencies, and the public on agencies' progress in implementing their plans and the objectives of this order. The Office of Personnel Management, to the extent permitted by law, shall compile and post on its website Government-wide statistics on the hiring of individuals with disabilities.

Sec. 3. Increasing Agencies' Retention and Return to Work of Individuals with Disabilities. (a) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, shall identify and assist agencies in implementing strategies for retaining Federal workers with disabilities in Federal employment including, but not limited to, training, the use of centralized funds to provide reasonable accommodations, increasing access to appropriate accessible technologies, and ensuring the accessibility of physical and virtual workspaces.

(b) Agencies shall make special efforts, to the extent permitted by law, to ensure the retention of those who are injured on the job. Agencies shall work to improve, expand, and increase successful return-to-work outcomes for those of their employees who sustain work-related injuries and illnesses, as defined under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), by increasing the availability of job accommodations and light or limited duty jobs, removing disincentives for FECA claimants to return to work, and taking other appropriate measures. The Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, shall pursue innovative re-employment strategies and develop policies, procedures, and structures that foster improved return-to-work outcomes, including by pursuing overall reform of the FECA system. The Secretary of Labor shall also propose specific outcome measures and targets by which each agency's progress in carrying out return-to-work and FECA claims processing efforts can be assessed.

Sec. 4. Definitions. (a) "Disability" shall be defined as set forth in the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.

(b) "Targeted disability" shall be defined as set forth on the form for self-identification of disability, Standard Form 256 (SF 256), issued by the Office of Personnel Management, or any replacements, updates, or revisions thereto.

(c) Not less than 1 year after the date of this order and in consultation with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, and the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Personnel Management shall review the effectiveness of the definition of targeted disability set forth in SF 256 and replace, update, or revise it as appropriate.

Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations, and shall not be construed to require any Federal employee to disclose disability status involuntarily.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

Barack Obama.

§792. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board

(a) Establishment; membership; chairperson; vice-chairperson; term of office; termination of membership; reappointment; compensation and travel expenses; bylaws; quorum requirements

(1) There is established within the Federal Government the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (hereinafter referred to as the "Access Board") which shall be composed as follows:

(A) Thirteen members shall be appointed by the President from among members of the general public of whom at least a majority shall be individuals with disabilities.

(B) The remaining members shall be the heads of each of the following departments or agencies (or their designees whose positions are executive level IV or higher):

(i) Department of Health and Human Services.

(ii) Department of Transportation.

(iii) Department of Housing and Urban Development.

(iv) Department of Labor.

(v) Department of the Interior.

(vi) Department of Defense.

(vii) Department of Justice.

(viii) General Services Administration.

(ix) Department of Veterans Affairs.

(x) United States Postal Service.

(xi) Department of Education.

(xii) Department of Commerce.

The chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Access Board shall be elected by majority vote of the members of the Access Board to serve for terms of one year. When the chairperson is a member of the general public, the vice-chairperson shall be a Federal official; and when the chairperson is a Federal official, the vice-chairperson shall be a member of the general public. Upon the expiration of the term as chairperson of a member who is a Federal official, the subsequent chairperson shall be a member of the general public; and vice versa.

(2)(A)(i) The term of office of each appointed member of the Access Board shall be 4 years, except as provided in clause (ii). Each year, the terms of office of at least three appointed members of the board shall expire.

(ii)(I) One member appointed for a term beginning December 4, 1992 shall serve for a term of 3 years.

(II) One member appointed for a term beginning December 4, 1993 shall serve for a term of 2 years.

(III) One member appointed for a term beginning December 4, 1994 shall serve for a term of 1 year.

(IV) Members appointed for terms beginning before December 4, 1992 shall serve for terms of 3 years.

(B) A member whose term has expired may continue to serve until a successor has been appointed.

(C) A member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the term to which that member's predecessor was appointed.

(3) If any appointed member of the Access Board becomes a Federal employee, such member may continue as a member of the Access Board for not longer than the sixty-day period beginning on the date the member becomes a Federal employee.

(4) No individual appointed under paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection who has served as a member of the Access Board may be reappointed to the Access Board more than once unless such individual has not served on the Access Board for a period of two years prior to the effective date of such individual's appointment.

(5)(A) Members of the Access Board who are not regular full-time employees of the United States shall, while serving on the business of the Access Board, be entitled to receive compensation at rates fixed by the President, but not to exceed the daily equivalent of the rate of pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, including travel time, for each day they are engaged in the performance of their duties as members of the Access Board; and shall be entitled to reimbursement for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred by them in carrying out their duties under this section.

(B) Members of the Access Board who are employed by the Federal Government shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred by them in carrying out their duties under this section.

(6)(A) The Access Board shall establish such bylaws and other rules as may be appropriate to enable the Access Board to carry out its functions under this chapter.

(B) The bylaws shall include quorum requirements. The quorum requirements shall provide that (i) a proxy may not be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum, and (ii) not less than half the members required for a quorum shall be members of the general public appointed under paragraph (1)(A).

(b) Functions

It shall be the function of the Access Board to-

(1) ensure compliance with the standards prescribed pursuant to the Act entitled "An Act to ensure that certain buildings financed with Federal funds are so designed and constructed as to be accessible to the physically handicapped", approved August 12, 1968 (commonly known as the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968; 42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.) (including the application of such Act to the United States Postal Service), including enforcing all standards under such Act, and ensuring that all waivers and modifications to the standards are based on findings of fact and are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section;

(2) develop advisory information for, and provide appropriate technical assistance to, individuals or entities with rights or duties under regulations prescribed pursuant to this subchapter or titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq. and 12181 et seq.) with respect to overcoming architectural, transportation, and communication barriers;

(3) establish and maintain-

(A) minimum guidelines and requirements for the standards issued pursuant to the Act commonly known as the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968;

(B) minimum guidelines and requirements for the standards issued pursuant to titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990;

(C) guidelines for accessibility of telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment under section 255 of title 47; and

(D) standards for accessible electronic and information technology under section 794d of this title;

(4) promote accessibility throughout all segments of society;

(5) investigate and examine alternative approaches to the architectural, transportation, communication, and attitudinal barriers confronting individuals with disabilities, particularly with respect to telecommunications devices, public buildings and monuments, parks and parklands, public transportation (including air, water, and surface transportation, whether interstate, foreign, intrastate, or local), and residential and institutional housing;

(6) determine what measures are being taken by Federal, State, and local governments and by other public or nonprofit agencies to eliminate the barriers described in paragraph (5);

(7) promote the use of the International Accessibility Symbol in all public facilities that are in compliance with the standards prescribed by the Administrator of General Services, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to the Act commonly known as the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968;

(8) make to the President and to the Congress reports that shall describe in detail the results of its investigations under paragraphs (5) and (6);

(9) make to the President and to the Congress such recommendations for legislative and administrative changes as the Access Board determines to be necessary or desirable to eliminate the barriers described in paragraph (5);

(10) ensure that public conveyances, including rolling stock, are readily accessible to, and usable by, individuals with physical disabilities; and

(11) carry out the responsibilities specified for the Access Board in section 794d of this title.

(c) Additional functions; transportation barriers and housing needs; transportation and housing plans and proposals

The Access Board shall also (1)(A) determine how and to what extent transportation barriers impede the mobility of individuals with disabilities and aged individuals with disabilities and consider ways in which travel expenses in connection with transportation to and from work for individuals with disabilities can be met or subsidized when such individuals are unable to use mass transit systems or need special equipment in private transportation, and (B) consider the housing needs of individuals with disabilities; (2) determine what measures are being taken, especially by public and other nonprofit agencies and groups having an interest in and a capacity to deal with such problems, (A) to eliminate barriers from public transportation systems (including vehicles used in such systems), and to prevent their incorporation in new or expanded transportation systems, and (B) to make housing available and accessible to individuals with disabilities or to meet sheltered housing needs; and (3) prepare plans and proposals for such further actions as may be necessary to the goals of adequate transportation and housing for individuals with disabilities, including proposals for bringing together in a cooperative effort, agencies, organizations, and groups already working toward such goals or whose cooperation is essential to effective and comprehensive action.

(d) Electronic and information technology accessibility training

Beginning in fiscal year 2000, the Access Board, after consultation with the Secretary, representatives of such public and private entities as the Access Board determines to be appropriate (including the electronic and information technology industry), targeted individuals and entities (as defined in section 3002 of this title), and State information technology officers, shall provide training for Federal and State employees on any obligations related to section 794d of this title.

(e) Investigations; hearings; orders; administrative procedure applicable; final orders; judicial review; civil action; intervention

(1) The Access Board shall conduct investigations, hold public hearings, and issue such orders as it deems necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Acts cited in subsection (b). Except as provided in paragraph (3) of subsection (f), the provisions of subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7 of title 5 shall apply to procedures under this subsection, and an order of compliance issued by the Access Board shall be a final order for purposes of judicial review. Any such order affecting any Federal department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States shall be final and binding on such department, agency, or instrumentality. An order of compliance may include the withholding or suspension of Federal funds with respect to any building or public conveyance or rolling stock found not to be in compliance with standards enforced under this section. Pursuant to chapter 7 of title 5, any complainant or participant in a proceeding under this subsection may obtain review of a final order issued in such proceeding.

(2) The executive director is authorized, at the direction of the Access Board-

(A) to bring a civil action in any appropriate United States district court to enforce, in whole or in part, any final order of the Access Board under this subsection; and

(B) to intervene, appear, and participate, or to appear as amicus curiae, in any court of the United States or in any court of a State in civil actions that relate to this section or to the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 [ 42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.].

Except as provided in section 518(a) of title 28, relating to litigation before the Supreme Court, the executive director may appear for and represent the Access Board in any civil litigation brought under this section.

(f) Appointment of executive director, administrative law judges, and other personnel; provisions applicable to administrative law judges; authority and duties of executive director; finality of orders of compliance

(1) There shall be appointed by the Access Board an executive director and such other professional and clerical personnel as are necessary to carry out its functions under this chapter. The Access Board is authorized to appoint as many administrative law judges as are necessary for proceedings required to be conducted under this section. The provisions applicable to administrative law judges appointed under section 3105 of title 5 shall apply to administrative law judges appointed under this subsection.

(2) The Executive Director shall exercise general supervision over all personnel employed by the Access Board (other than administrative law judges and their assistants). The Executive Director shall have final authority on behalf of the Access Board, with respect to the investigation of alleged noncompliance and in the issuance of formal complaints before the Access Board, and shall have such other duties as the Access Board may prescribe.

(3) For the purpose of this section, an order of compliance issued by an administrative law judge shall be deemed to be an order of the Access Board and shall be the final order for the purpose of judicial review.

(g) Technical, administrative, or other assistance; appointment, compensation, and travel expenses of advisory and technical experts and consultants

(1)(A) In carrying out the technical assistance responsibilities of the Access Board under this section, the Board may enter into an interagency agreement with another Federal department or agency.

(B) Any funds appropriated to such a department or agency for the purpose of providing technical assistance may be transferred to the Access Board. Any funds appropriated to the Access Board for the purpose of providing such technical assistance may be transferred to such department or agency.

(C) The Access Board may arrange to carry out the technical assistance responsibilities of the Board under this section through such other departments and agencies for such periods as the Board determines to be appropriate.

(D) The Access Board shall establish a procedure to ensure separation of its compliance and technical assistance responsibilities under this section.

(2) The departments or agencies specified in subsection (a) of this section shall make available to the Access Board such technical, administrative, or other assistance as it may require to carry out its functions under this section, and the Access Board may appoint such other advisers, technical experts, and consultants as it deems necessary to assist it in carrying out its functions under this section. Special advisory and technical experts and consultants appointed pursuant to this paragraph shall, while performing their functions under this section, be entitled to receive compensation at rates fixed by the Chairperson, but not exceeding the daily equivalent of the rate of pay for level 4 of the Senior Executive Service Schedule under section 5382 of title 5, including travel time, and while serving away from their homes or regular places of business they may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of such title 5 for persons in the Government service employed intermittently.

(h) Omitted

(i) Grants and contracts to aid Access Board in carrying out its functions; acceptance of gifts, devises, and bequests of property

(1) The Access Board may make grants to, or enter into contracts with, public or private organizations to carry out its duties under subsections (b) and (c).

(2)(A) The Access Board may accept, hold, administer, and utilize gifts, devises, and bequests of property, both real and personal, for the purpose of aiding and facilitating the functions of the Access Board under paragraphs (2) and (4) of subsection (b). Gifts and bequests of money and proceeds from sales of other property received as gifts, devises, or bequests shall be deposited in the Treasury and shall be disbursed upon the order of the Chairperson. Property accepted pursuant to this section, and the proceeds thereof, shall be used as nearly as possible in accordance with the terms of the gifts, devises, or bequests. For purposes of Federal income, estate, or gift taxes, property accepted under this section shall be considered as a gift, devise, or bequest to the United States.

(B) The Access Board shall publish regulations setting forth the criteria the Board will use in determining whether the acceptance of gifts, devises, and bequests of property, both real and personal, would reflect unfavorably upon the ability of the Board or any employee to carry out the responsibilities or official duties of the Board in a fair and objective manner, or would compromise the integrity of or the appearance of the integrity of a Government program or any official involved in that program.

(3) Omitted.

(j) Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of carrying out the duties and functions of the Access Board under this section $7,448,000 for fiscal year 2015, $8,023,000 for fiscal year 2016, $8,190,000 for fiscal year 2017, $8,371,000 for fiscal year 2018, $8,568,000 for fiscal year 2019, and $8,750,000 for fiscal year 2020.

(Pub. L. 93-112, title V, §502, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 391; Pub. L. 93-516, title I, §§110, 111(n)-(q), Dec. 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 1619, 1621, 1622; Pub. L. 93-651, title I, §§110, 111(n)-(q), Nov. 21, 1974, 89 Stat. 2-4, 2-6, 2-7; Pub. L. 94-230, §§10, 11(b)(13), Mar. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 212, 214; Pub. L. 95-251, §2(a)(8), Mar. 27, 1978, 92 Stat. 183; Pub. L. 95-602, title I, §118, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2979; Pub. L. 96-374, title XIII, §1321, Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1499; Pub. L. 98-221, title I, §151, Feb. 22, 1984, 98 Stat. 28; Pub. L. 99-506, title I, §103(d)(2)(C), title VI, §601, title X, §1002(e)(2)(B)-(D), Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1810, 1829, 1844; Pub. L. 100-630, title II, §206(b), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 3311; Pub. L. 102-52, §6, June 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 262; Pub. L. 102-54, §13(k)(1)(A), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 276; Pub. L. 102-569, title I, §102(p)(30), title V, §504, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4360, 4424; Pub. L. 103-73, title I, §112(b), Aug. 11, 1993, 107 Stat. 727; Pub. L. 105-220, title IV, §408(a)(2), Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1202; Pub. L. 105-394, title II, §203(a), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3653; Pub. L. 108-364, §3(b)(3), Oct. 25, 2004, 118 Stat. 1737; Pub. L. 113-128, title IV, §456(b), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1675.)

References in Text

Executive level IV, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(B), is set out in section 5315 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Codification

Subsecs. (h) and (i)(3) of this section, which required the Board to submit an annual report on its activities to Congress and, at the same time the Board transmits the report required under section 4157(b) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, to transmit that report to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate, terminated, effective May 15, 2000, pursuant to section 3003 of Pub. L. 104-66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance. See, also, items 4 to 6 on page 155 of House Document No. 103-7.

Amendments

2014-Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 113-128 substituted "$7,448,000 for fiscal year 2015, $8,023,000 for fiscal year 2016, $8,190,000 for fiscal year 2017, $8,371,000 for fiscal year 2018, $8,568,000 for fiscal year 2019, and $8,750,000 for fiscal year 2020." for "such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1999 through 2003."

2004-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 108-364 substituted "targeted individuals and entities" for "targeted individuals".

1998-Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 105-220, §408(a)(2)(A), substituted "chairperson and" for "Chairperson and" in concluding provisions.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 105-220, §408(a)(2)(B)(i), substituted "information" for "guidelines".

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 105-220, §408(a)(2)(B)(ii), added par. (3) and struck out former par. (3) which read as follows: "establish and maintain minimum guidelines and requirements for the standards issued pursuant to the Act commonly known as the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 and titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990;".

Subsec. (b)(11). Pub. L. 105-220, §408(a)(2)(B)(iii)-(v), added par. (11).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105-394, §203(a)(2), added subsec. (d). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (e).

Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 105-220, §408(a)(2)(C), substituted "procedures under this subsection" for "procedures under this section".

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105-394, §203(a)(1), (3), redesignated subsec. (d) as (e) and substituted "subsection (f)" for "subsection (e)" in second sentence of par. (1). Former subsec. (e) redesignated (f).

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 105-394, §203(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (e) as (f). Former subsec. (f) redesignated (g).

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 105-394, §203(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (f) as (g). Former subsec. (g) redesignated (h).

Subsec. (g)(2). Pub. L. 105-220, §408(a)(2)(D), substituted "Committee on Education and the Workforce" for "Committee on Education and Labor".

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 105-394, §203(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (g) as (h). Former subsec. (h) redesignated (i).

Subsec. (h)(2)(A). Pub. L. 105-220, §408(a)(2)(E), substituted "paragraphs (2) and (4)" for "paragraphs (5) and (7)".

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 105-394, §203(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (h) as (i). Former subsec. (i) redesignated (j).

Pub. L. 105-220, §408(a)(2)(F), substituted "fiscal years 1999 through 2003" for "fiscal years 1993 through 1997".

Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 105-394, §203(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (i) as (j).

1993-Subsec. (a)(5)(A). Pub. L. 103-73 substituted "level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315" for "level 4 of the Senior Executive Service Schedule under section 5382".

1992- Pub. L. 102-569, §504(a)(2), (3), substituted "the Access Board" and "The Access Board" for "the Board" and "The Board", respectively, wherever appearing.

Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(a)(1), substituted "the 'Access Board' " for "the 'Board' " in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(b)(1)(A), substituted "Thirteen" for "Twelve" and "at least a majority" for "six".

Pub. L. 102-569, §102(p)(30), substituted "individuals with disabilities" for "individuals with handicaps".

Subsec. (a)(1)(B)(xii). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(b)(1)(B), added cl. (xii).

Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(b)(2), designated existing provisions as cl. (i), substituted "4 years, except as provided in clause (ii)" for "three years" and "at least three" for "four", and added cl. (ii).

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(b)(3), substituted "a Federal" for "such an" after "member becomes".

Subsec. (a)(5)(A). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(b)(4), substituted "the daily equivalent of the rate of pay for level 4 of the Senior Executive Service Schedule under section 5382" for "the daily rate prescribed for GS-18 under section 5332".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(c), amended subsec. (b) generally, substituting present provisions for provisions which outlined eight specific functions of the Access Board.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102-569, §102(p)(30), substituted "individuals with disabilities" for "individuals with handicaps" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(d)(1), in first sentence, substituted "The Access Board shall conduct" for "In carrying out its functions under this chapter, the Access Board shall, directly or through grants to public or private nonprofit organizations or contracts with private nonprofit or forprofit organizations, carry out its functions under subsections (b) and (c) of this section, and shall conduct" and "to ensure compliance" for "to insure compliance".

Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(d)(2), struck out par. (3) which read as follows: "The Access Board, in consultation and coordination with other concerned Federal departments and agencies and agencies within the Department of Education, shall develop standards and provide appropriate technical assistance to any public or private activity, person, or entity affected by regulations prescribed pursuant to this subchapter with respect to overcoming architectural, transportation, and communication barriers. Any funds appropriated to any such department or agency for the purpose of providing such assistance may be transferred to the Access Board for the purpose of carrying out this paragraph. The Access Board may arrange to carry out its responsibilities under this paragraph through such other departments and agencies for such periods as the Access Board determines is appropriate. In carrying out its technical assistance responsibilities under this paragraph, the Access Board shall establish a procedure to insure separation of its compliance and technical assistance responsibilities under this section."

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(e), added par. (1), designated existing provisions as par. (2) and substituted "paragraph" for "subsection", "Chairperson" for "Secretary", and "the daily equivalent of the rate of pay for level 4 of the Senior Executive Service Schedule under section 5382" for "the daily pay rate for a person employed as a GS-18 under section 5332".

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(f), designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted "paragraphs (8) and (9) of such subsection" for "clauses (5) and (6) of subsection (b) of this section", struck out at end "The Access Board shall prepare two final reports of its activities under subsection (c). One such report shall be on its activities in the field of transportation barriers facing individuals with disabilities, and the other such report shall be on its activities in the field of the housing needs of individuals with disabilities. The Access Board shall, not later than September 30, 1975, submit each such report, together with its recommendations, to the President and the Congress. The Access Board shall also prepare for such submission an interim report of its activities in each such field within 18 months after September 26, 1973. The Access Board shall prepare and submit two additional reports of its activities under subsection (c) of this section, one report on its activities in the field of transportation barriers facing individuals with disabilities and the other report on its activities in the field of the housing needs of individuals with disabilities. The two additional reports required by the previous sentence shall be submitted not later than February 1, 1988.", and added par. (2).

Pub. L. 102-569, §102(p)(30), substituted "individuals with disabilities" for "individuals with handicaps" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (h)(1). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(g)(1)-(3), redesignated par. (2) as (1), struck out at end "The Access Board may also make grants to any designated State unit for the purpose of conducting studies to provide the cost assessments required by paragraph (1). Before including in such report the findings of any study conducted for the Access Board under a grant or contract to provide the Access Board with such cost assessments, the Access Board shall take all necessary steps to validate the accuracy of any such findings.", and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: "Within one year following November 6, 1978, the Access Board shall submit to the President and the Congress a report containing an assessment of the amounts required to be expended by States and by political subdivisions thereof to provide individuals with disabilities with full access to all programs and activities receiving Federal assistance."

Pub. L. 102-569, §102(p)(30), substituted "individuals with disabilities" for "individuals with handicaps" before "with full access".

Subsec. (h)(2). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(g)(4), which directed the addition of par. (2) "at the end" of subsec. (h), was executed by adding par. (2) before par. (3) to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Former par. (2) redesignated (1).

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 102-569, §504(h), substituted "fiscal years 1993 through 1997." for "fiscal years 1987 through 1992, but in no event shall the amount appropriated for any one fiscal year exceed $3,000,000."

1991-Subsec. (a)(1)(B)(ix). Pub. L. 102-54 substituted "Department of Veterans Affairs" for "Veterans' Administration".

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 102-52 substituted "1987 through 1992" for "1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991".

1988-Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(b)(1), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: "The term of office of each appointed member of the Board shall be three years; except that (i) the members first taking office shall serve, as designated by the President at the time of appointment, four for a term of one year, four for a term of two years, and three for a term of three years, (ii) a member whose term has expired may continue to serve until a successor has been appointed, and (iii) a member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the term to which that member's predecessor was appointed."

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(b)(2), substituted "the member" for "he".

Subsec. (a)(5)(A). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(b)(3), substituted "travel time" for "traveltime".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(b)(4)-(7), inserted a comma after "surface transportation" in cl. (2), and substituted "Administrator of General Services" for "Administrator of the General Services Administration" in cl. (4), "results of" for "results to" in cl. (5), and "individuals with physical handicaps" for "physically handicapped persons" in cl. (8).

Subsec. (c)(2)(A). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(b)(8), inserted a comma after "expanded transportation systems".

Subsec. (d)(2)((B). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(b)(9), substituted "that relate to" for "which related to".

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(b)(10), substituted "daily pay rate for" for "daily pay rate, for", " section 5332 of title 5" for " section 5332 of title 45", and "travel time" for "traveltime".

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(b)(11), substituted "transportation barriers facing individuals with handicaps" for "transportation barriers to individuals with handicaps" and for "transportation barriers of handicapped individuals" in fourth and seventh sentences, respectively, and "housing needs of individuals with handicaps" for "housing needs of handicapped individuals" in seventh sentence.

1986-Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 99-506, §§103(d)(2)(C), 601(a)(2), substituted "Twelve" for "Eleven", "six" for "five", and "individuals with handicaps" for "handicapped individuals".

Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 99-506, §601(a)(1), substituted provision that Chairperson and vice-chairperson of Board shall be elected by majority vote of members of Board to serve for terms of one year, for provision that President had to appoint first Chairman of such Board who was to serve for term of not more than two years, with subsequent Chairmen to be elected by majority vote of Board for term of one year, and inserted provisions that positions of Chairperson and vice-chairperson each be held alternately in succession by Federal official and by member of general public, and that when either office is held by member of general public, the other will be held by Federal official.

Subsec. (a)(2)(ii), (iii). Pub. L. 99-506, §601(a)(3), added cls. (ii) and (iii), and struck out former cl. (ii) which read as follows: "any member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the term for which his predecessor was appointed".

Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 99-506, §601(a)(4), added par. (6).

Subsecs. (b)(2), (c). Pub. L. 99-506, §103(d)(2)(C), substituted "individuals with handicaps" for "handicapped individuals" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (d)(2)(A). Pub. L. 99-506, §1002(e)(2)(B), substituted "any final order" for "any, final order".

Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 99-506, §1002(e)(2)(C), substituted "Department of Education" for "Department of Health, Education, and Welfare" and "with respect to overcoming" for "with respect overcoming to".

Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 99-506, §1002(e)(2)(D), substituted "alleged noncompliance and in" for "alleged noncompliance in".

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 99-506, §601(b), inserted provisions requiring the Board to submit, not later than Feb. 1, 1988, two additional reports on its activities under subsec. (c), one report to deal with its activities relating to transportation barriers to handicapped individuals, the other to deal with activities relating to the housing needs of handicapped individuals.

Pub. L. 99-506, §103(d)(2)(C), substituted "individuals with handicaps" for "handicapped individuals" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (h)(1). Pub. L. 99-506, §103(d)(2)(C), substituted reference to individuals with handicaps for reference to handicapped individuals.

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 99-506, §601(c), which directed the substitution of "of the fiscal years 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991," for "fiscal year ending before October 1, 1986," was executed by making the substitution for "fiscal year ending before October 1, 1986.," as the probable intent of Congress. See 1984 Amendment note below.

1984-Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 98-221 substituted "October 1, 1986." for "October 1, 1982".

1980-Subsec. (a)(1)(B)(i). Pub. L. 96-374, §1321(a)(1), substituted "Department of Health and Human Services" for "Department of Health, Education, and Welfare".

Subsec. (a)(1)(B)(xi). Pub. L. 96-374, §1321(a)(2), added cl. (xi).

Subsec. (h)(3). Pub. L. 96-374, §1321(b), added par. (3).

1978-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95-602, §118(a), substituted provision permitting President to appoint eleven members of Board from general public of whom five are to be handicapped, adding head of the Department of Justice as a Board member, authorizing President to appoint the first chairman, and providing for the term of office, reappointment, and compensation of Board members for provision restricting Board membership to head of Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Department of Transportation, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Labor, Department of the Interior, Department of Defense, General Services Administration, United States Postal Service, and Veterans' Administration, appointing Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare as chairman, and authorizing appointment of a Consumer Advisory Panel, a majority of members of which were to be handicapped, to provide guidance, advice, and recommendations to Board.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 95-602, §118(b)(1), substituted provision requiring Board to insure compliance with standards of Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, including application to United States Postal Service, and to insure all waivers and modifications of standards are based on findings of fact and are not inconsistent with that Act or this section for provision requiring Board to insure compliance with the standards prescribed by General Services Administration, Department of Defense, and Department of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to Architectural Barriers Act of 1968.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 95-602, §118(b)(2), inserted "communication," before "and attitudinal" and "telecommunication devices," before "public buildings".

Subsec. (b)(7), (8). Pub. L. 95-602, §118(b)(3), added pars. (7) and (8).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95-602, §118(c), designated existing provision as par. (1), substituted "public or private nonprofit organizations or contracts with private nonprofit or forprofit organizations" for "or contracts with public or private nonprofit organizations", "Except as provided in paragraph (3) of subsection (e), provisions" for "The provisions", "building or public conveyance or rolling stock found" for "building found", and "enforced under this section" for "prescribed pursuant to the Acts cited in subsection (b) of this section", inserted provision permitting a complainant or participant in a proceeding under this subsection to obtain review of a final order pursuant to chapter 7 of title 5, and added pars. (2) and (3).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 95-602, §118(d), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added pars. (2) and (3).

Pub. L. 95-251 substituted "administrative law judges" for "hearing examiners" wherever appearing. Such substitution was made in pars. (2) and (3) as the probable intent of Congress in view of the amendment to subsec. (e) by section 2(a)(8) of Pub. L. 95-251 (although prior in time to the amendment by Pub. L. 95-602) requiring such substitution wherever appearing in text.

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 95-602, §118(e), added subsec. (h). Former subsec. (h), which authorized appropriations for carrying out duties and functions of the Board of $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years ending June 30, 1974, and June 30, 1975, $1,500,000 for fiscal year ending June 30, 1976, and $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years ending Sept. 30, 1977 and Sept. 30, 1978, was struck out.

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 95-602, §118(e), added subsec. (i).

1976-Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 94-230, §10, authorized appropriation of $1,500,000 for fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1977.

Pub. L. 94-230, §11(b)(13), authorized appropriation of $1,500,000 for fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1978.

1974-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93-516, §111(n), redesignated cls. (6), (7), and (8), as cls. (7), (8), and (9), added cl. (6), and following designated clauses, inserted provisions that Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare shall be Chairman of Board, and that Board shall appoint, upon recommendation of Secretary, a Consumer Advisory Panel, a majority of members of which shall be handicapped individuals, to provide guidance, advice, and recommendations to Board in carrying out its functions.

Pub. L. 93-651, §111(n), amended subsec. (a) in exactly the same manner as it was amended by Pub. L. 93-516.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 93-516, §111(o), substituted "this chapter, the Board shall, directly or through grants to or contracts with public or private nonprofit organizations, carrying out its functions under subsections (b) and (c) of this section, and shall conduct" for "this section, the Board shall conduct", and inserted provisions that any such order affecting any Federal department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States shall be final and binding on such department, agency, or instrumentality, and that an order of compliance may include the withholding or suspension of Federal funds with respect to any building found not to be in compliance with standards prescribed pursuant to the Acts referred to in subsec. (b) of this section.

Pub. L. 93-651, 111(o), amended subsec. (d) in exactly the same manner as it was amended by Pub. L. 93-516.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 93-516, §111(p), inserted provisions relating to appointment of an executive director and other professional and clerical personnel.

Pub. L. 93-651, §111(p), amended subsec. (e) in exactly the same manner as it was amended by Pub. L. 93-516.

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 93-516, §111(q), substituted "not later than September 30, 1975" for "prior to January 1, 1975".

Pub. L. 93-651, §111(q), amended subsec. (g) in exactly the same manner as it was amended by Pub. L. 93-516.

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 93-516, §110, authorized appropriation of $1,500,000 for fiscal year ending June 30, 1976.

Pub. L. 93-651, §110, amended subsec. (h) in exactly the same manner as it was amended by Pub. L. 93-516.

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Extension of Vocational Rehabilitation Programs Through Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 1978; Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

Pub. L. 94-230, §11(a), (b)(1), (c), Mar. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 213, 214, extended certain program authorizations in the absence of congressional action, provided that the amendments made by section 11(b) of Pub. L. 94-230 would take effect at the close of Apr. 15, 1977, unless Congress passed legislation preempting those amendments, and provided that Congress would not be deemed to have passed such legislation unless it became law.

Termination of Advisory Panels

Advisory panels established after Jan. 5, 1973, to terminate not later than the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the date of their establishment, unless, in the case of a panel established by the President or an officer of the Federal Government, such panel is renewed by appropriate action prior to the expiration of such 2-year period, or in the case of a panel established by the Congress, its duration is otherwise provided for by law. See sections 3(2) and 14 of Pub. L. 92-463, Oct. 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 770, 776, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Accessibility of Information on Prescription Drug Container Labels by Visually Impaired and Blind Consumers

Pub. L. 112-144, title IX, §904, July 9, 2012, 126 Stat. 1090, provided that:

"(a) Establishment of Working Group.-

"(1) In general.-The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (referred to in this section as the 'Access Board') shall convene a stakeholder working group (referred to in this section as the 'working group') to develop best practices on access to information on prescription drug container labels for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

"(2) Members.-The working group shall be comprised of representatives of national organizations representing blind and visually impaired individuals, national organizations representing the elderly, and industry groups representing stakeholders, including retail, mail-order, and independent community pharmacies, who would be impacted by such best practices. Representation within the working group shall be divided equally between consumer and industry advocates.

"(3) Best practices.-

"(A) In general.-The working group shall develop, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act [July 9, 2012], best practices for pharmacies to ensure that blind and visually impaired individuals have safe, consistent, reliable, and independent access to the information on prescription drug container labels.

"(B) Public availability.-The best practices developed under subparagraph (A) may be made publicly available, including through the Internet Web sites of the working group participant organizations, and through other means, in a manner that provides access to interested individuals, including individuals with disabilities.

"(C) Limitations.-The best practices developed under subparagraph (A) shall not be construed as accessibility guidelines or standards of the Access Board, and shall not confer any rights or impose any obligations on working group participants or other persons. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or condition any right, obligation, or remedy available under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) or any other Federal or State law requiring effective communication, barrier removal, or nondiscrimination on the basis of disability.

"(4) Considerations.-In developing and issuing the best practices under paragraph (3)(A), the working group shall consider-

"(A) the use of-

"(i) Braille;

"(ii) auditory means, such as-

"(I) 'talking bottles' that provide audible container label information;

"(II) digital voice recorders attached to the prescription drug container; and

"(III) radio frequency identification tags;

"(iii) enhanced visual means, such as-

"(I) large font labels or large font 'duplicate' labels that are affixed or matched to a prescription drug container;

"(II) high-contrast printing; and

"(III) sans-serif font; and

"(iv) other relevant alternatives as determined by the working group;

"(B) whether there are technical, financial, manpower, or other factors unique to pharmacies with 20 or fewer retail locations which may pose significant challenges to the adoption of the best practices; and

"(C) such other factors as the working group determines to be appropriate.

"(5) Information campaign.-Upon completion of development of the best practices under subsection (a)(3), the National Council on Disability, in consultation with the working group, shall conduct an informational and educational campaign designed to inform individuals with disabilities, pharmacists, and the public about such best practices.

"(6) FACA waiver.-The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the working group.

"(b) GAO Study.-

"(1) In general.-Beginning 18 months after the completion of the development of best practices under subsection (a)(3)(A), the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a review of the extent to which pharmacies are utilizing such best practices, and the extent to which barriers to accessible information on prescription drug container labels for blind and visually impaired individuals continue.

"(2) Report.-Not later than September 30, 2016, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the review conducted under paragraph (1). Such report shall include recommendations about how best to reduce the barriers experienced by blind and visually impaired individuals to independently accessing information on prescription drug container labels.

"(c) Definitions.-In this section-

"(1) the term 'pharmacy' includes a pharmacy that receives prescriptions and dispenses prescription drugs through an Internet Web site or by mail;

"(2) the term 'prescription drug' means a drug subject to section 503(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act ( 21 U.S.C. 353(b)(1)); and

"(3) the term 'prescription drug container label' means the label with the directions for use that is affixed to the prescription drug container by the pharmacist and dispensed to the consumer."

§793. Employment under Federal contracts

(a) Amount of contracts or subcontracts; provision for employment and advancement of qualified individuals with disabilities; regulations

Any contract in excess of $10,000 entered into by any Federal department or agency for the procurement of personal property and nonpersonal services (including construction) for the United States shall contain a provision requiring that the party contracting with the United States shall take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities. The provisions of this section shall apply to any subcontract in excess of $10,000 entered into by a prime contractor in carrying out any contract for the procurement of personal property and nonpersonal services (including construction) for the United States. The President shall implement the provisions of this section by promulgating regulations within ninety days after September 26, 1973.

(b) Administrative enforcement; complaints; investigations; departmental action

If any individual with a disability believes any contractor has failed or refused to comply with the provisions of a contract with the United States, relating to employment of individuals with disabilities, such individual may file a complaint with the Department of Labor. The Department shall promptly investigate such complaint and shall take such action thereon as the facts and circumstances warrant, consistent with the terms of such contract and the laws and regulations applicable thereto.

(c) Waiver by President; national interest special circumstances for waiver of particular agreements; waiver by Secretary of Labor of affirmative action requirements

(1) The requirements of this section may be waived, in whole or in part, by the President with respect to a particular contract or subcontract, in accordance with guidelines set forth in regulations which the President shall prescribe, when the President determines that special circumstances in the national interest so require and states in writing the reasons for such determination.

(2)(A) The Secretary of Labor may waive the requirements of the affirmative action clause required by regulations promulgated under subsection (a) with respect to any of a prime contractor's or subcontractor's facilities that are found to be in all respects separate and distinct from activities of the prime contractor or subcontractor related to the performance of the contract or subcontract, if the Secretary of Labor also finds that such a waiver will not interfere with or impede the effectuation of this chapter.

(B) Such waivers shall be considered only upon the request of the contractor or subcontractor. The Secretary of Labor shall promulgate regulations that set forth the standards used for granting such a waiver.

(d) Standards used in determining violation of section

The standards used to determine whether this section has been violated in a complaint alleging nonaffirmative action employment discrimination under this section shall be the standards applied under title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12111 et seq.) and the provisions of sections 501 through 504, and 510, of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12201-12204 and 12210), as such sections relate to employment.

(e) Avoidance of duplicative efforts and inconsistencies

The Secretary shall develop procedures to ensure that administrative complaints filed under this section and under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 [ 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.] are dealt with in a manner that avoids duplication of effort and prevents imposition of inconsistent or conflicting standards for the same requirements under this section and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

(Pub. L. 93-112, title V, §503, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 393; Pub. L. 95-602, title I, §122(d)(1), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2987; Pub. L. 99-506, title I, §103(d)(2)(B), (C), title X, §§1001(f)(2), (3), 1002(e)(3), Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1810, 1843, 1844; Pub. L. 100-630, title II, §206(c), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 3312; Pub. L. 102-569, title I, §102(p)(31), title V, §505, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4360, 4427.)

References in Text

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, referred to in subsecs. (d) and (e), is Pub. L. 101-336, July 26, 1990, 104 Stat. 327, which is classified principally to chapter 126 (§12101 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Title I of the Act is classified generally to subchapter I (§12111 et seq.) of chapter 126 of Title 42. Section 510 of the Act was renumbered section 511 by Pub. L. 110-325, §6(a)(2), Sept. 25, 2008, 122 Stat. 3558. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 12101 of Title 42 and Tables.

Amendments

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102-569, §102(p)(31)(B), substituted "individual with a disability" for "individual with handicaps" and "individuals with disabilities" for "individuals with handicaps".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102-569, §505(b), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 102-569, §505(c), added subsecs. (d) and (e).

1988-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(c)(1), inserted a comma after "to carry out such contract".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(c)(2), substituted "refused" for "refuses".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(c)(3), substituted "which the President" for "which The President" and "when the President" for "when The President".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99-506, §§103(d)(2)(B), (C), 1001(f)(2), substituted "individual with handicaps" for "handicapped individual", "individuals with handicaps" for "handicapped individuals", and "a contract" for "his contract".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99-506, §1001(f)(3), substituted "The President" for "he" in two places and substituted "the reasons" for "his reasons".

§794. Nondiscrimination under Federal grants and programs

(a) Promulgation of rules and regulations

No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 705(20) of this title, shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency or by the United States Postal Service. The head of each such agency shall promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the amendments to this section made by the Rehabilitation, Comprehensive Services, and Developmental Disabilities Act of 1978. Copies of any proposed regulation shall be submitted to appropriate authorizing committees of the Congress, and such regulation may take effect no earlier than the thirtieth day after the date on which such regulation is so submitted to such committees.

(b) "Program or activity" defined

For the purposes of this section, the term "program or activity" means all of the operations of-

(1)(A) a department, agency, special purpose district, or other instrumentality of a State or of a local government; or

(B) the entity of such State or local government that distributes such assistance and each such department or agency (and each other State or local government entity) to which the assistance is extended, in the case of assistance to a State or local government;

(2)(A) a college, university, or other postsecondary institution, or a public system of higher education; or

(B) a local educational agency (as defined in section 7801 of title 20), system of career and technical education, or other school system;

(3)(A) an entire corporation, partnership, or other private organization, or an entire sole proprietorship-

(i) if assistance is extended to such corporation, partnership, private organization, or sole proprietorship as a whole; or

(ii) which is principally engaged in the business of providing education, health care, housing, social services, or parks and recreation; or

(B) the entire plant or other comparable, geographically separate facility to which Federal financial assistance is extended, in the case of any other corporation, partnership, private organization, or sole proprietorship; or

(4) any other entity which is established by two or more of the entities described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3);

any part of which is extended Federal financial assistance.

(c) Significant structural alterations by small providers

Small providers are not required by subsection (a) to make significant structural alterations to their existing facilities for the purpose of assuring program accessibility, if alternative means of providing the services are available. The terms used in this subsection shall be construed with reference to the regulations existing on March 22, 1988.

(d) Standards used in determining violation of section

The standards used to determine whether this section has been violated in a complaint alleging employment discrimination under this section shall be the standards applied under title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12111 et seq.) and the provisions of sections 501 through 504, and 510, of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 12201-12204 and 12210), as such sections relate to employment.

(Pub. L. 93-112, title V, §504, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 394; Pub. L. 95-602, title I, §§119, 122(d)(2), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2982, 2987; Pub. L. 99-506, title I, §103(d)(2)(B), title X, §1002(e)(4), Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1810, 1844; Pub. L. 100-259, §4, Mar. 22, 1988, 102 Stat. 29; Pub. L. 100-630, title II, §206(d), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 3312; Pub. L. 102-569, title I, §102(p)(32), title V, §506, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4360, 4428; Pub. L. 103-382, title III, §394(i)(2), Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 4029; Pub. L. 105-220, title IV, §408(a)(3), Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1203; Pub. L. 107-110, title X, §1076(u)(2), Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 2093; Pub. L. 113-128, title IV, §456(c), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1675; Pub. L. 114-95, title IX, §9215(mmm)(3), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2188.)

References in Text

The amendments to this section made by the Rehabilitation, Comprehensive Services, and Developmental Disabilities Act of 1978, referred to in subsec. (a), mean the amendments made by Pub. L. 95-602. See 1978 Amendments note below.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (d), is Pub. L. 101-336, July 26, 1990, 104 Stat. 327. Title I of the Act is classified generally to subchapter I (§12111 et seq.) of chapter 126 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Section 510 of the Act was renumbered section 511 by Pub. L. 110-325, §6(a)(2), Sept. 25, 2008, 122 Stat. 3558. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 12101 of Title 42 and Tables.

Amendments

2014-Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 113-128 substituted "career and technical education" for "vocational education".

1998-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105-220 substituted "section 705(20)" for "section 706(8)".

1992-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102-569, §102(p)(32), substituted "a disability" for "handicaps" and "disability" for "handicap" in first sentence.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102-569, §506, added subsec. (d).

1988-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(d)(1), substituted "her or his handicap" for "his handicap".

Pub. L. 100-259, §4(1), designated existing provisions as subsec. (a).

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100-259, §4(2), added subsec. (b).

Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(d)(2), substituted " section 2891(12) of title 20" for " section 2854(a)(10) of title 20".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100-259, §4(2), added subsec. (c).

Effective Date of 2015 Amendment

Effective Date of 2002 Amendment

Exclusion From Coverage

Abortion Neutrality

Construction of Prohibition Against Discrimination Under Federal Grants

Coordination of Implementation and Enforcement of Provisions

For provisions relating to the coordination of implementation and enforcement of the provisions of this section by the Attorney General, see section 1-201 of Ex. Ord. No. 12250, Nov. 2, 1980, 45 F.R. 72995, set out as a note under section 2000d-1 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Executive Order No. 11914

Ex. Ord. No. 11914, Apr. 28, 1976, 41 F.R. 17871, which related to nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12250, Nov. 2, 1980, 45 F.R. 72995, set out as a note under section 2000d-1 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

§794a. Remedies and attorney fees

(a)(1) The remedies, procedures, and rights set forth in section 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ( 42 U.S.C. 2000e-16), including the application of sections 706(f) through 706(k) ( 42 U.S.C. 2000e-5(f) through (k)) (and the application of section 706(e)(3) ( 42 U.S.C. 2000e-5(e)(3)) to claims of discrimination in compensation), shall be available, with respect to any complaint under section 791 of this title, to any employee or applicant for employment aggrieved by the final disposition of such complaint, or by the failure to take final action on such complaint. In fashioning an equitable or affirmative action remedy under such section, a court may take into account the reasonableness of the cost of any necessary work place accommodation, and the availability of alternatives therefor or other appropriate relief in order to achieve an equitable and appropriate remedy.

(2) The remedies, procedures, and rights set forth in title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ( 42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.) (and in subsection (e)(3) of section 706 of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 2000e-5), applied to claims of discrimination in compensation) shall be available to any person aggrieved by any act or failure to act by any recipient of Federal assistance or Federal provider of such assistance under section 794 of this title.

(b) In any action or proceeding to enforce or charge a violation of a provision of this subchapter, the court, in its discretion, may allow the prevailing party, other than the United States, a reasonable attorney's fee as part of the costs.

( Pub. L. 93-112, title V, §505, as added Pub. L. 95-602, title I, §120(a), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2982; amended Pub. L. 111-2, §5(c)(1), Jan. 29, 2009, 123 Stat. 6.)

References in Text

Amendments

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 111-2, §5(c)(1)(B), inserted "( 42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.) (and in subsection (e)(3) of section 706 of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 2000e-5), applied to claims of discrimination in compensation)" after "1964".

Effective Date of 2009 Amendment

§794b. Removal of architectural, transportation, or communication barriers; technical and financial assistance; compensation of experts or consultants; authorization of appropriations

(a) The Secretary may provide directly or by contract with State vocational rehabilitation agencies or experts or consultants or groups thereof, technical assistance-

(1) to persons operating community rehabilitation programs; and

(2) with the concurrence of the Access Board established by section 792 of this title, to any public or nonprofit agency, institution, or organization;

for the purpose of assisting such persons or entities in removing architectural, transportation, or communication barriers. Any concurrence of the Access Board under paragraph (2) shall reflect its consideration of cost studies carried out by States.

(b) Any such experts or consultants, while serving pursuant to such contracts, shall be entitled to receive compensation at rates fixed by the Secretary, but not exceeding the daily equivalent of the rate of pay for level 4 of the Senior Executive Service Schedule under section 5382 of title 5, including travel time, and while so serving away from their homes or regular places of business, they may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5 for persons in the Government service employed intermittently.

(c) The Secretary, with the concurrence of the Access Board and the President, may provide, directly or by contract, financial assistance to any public or nonprofit agency, institution, or organization for the purpose of removing architectural, transportation, and communication barriers. No assistance may be provided under this subsection until a study demonstrating the need for such assistance has been conducted and submitted under section 792(i)(1) of this title.

(d) In order to carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary.

Amendments

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105-394 substituted "792(i)(1)" for "792(h)(1)".

Pub. L. 105-220, §408(a)(4)(B), substituted "provided under this subsection" for "provided under this paragraph".

1992-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102-569, §507(a), (b), substituted "community rehabilitation programs" for "rehabilitation facilities" in par. (1) and inserted "Access" before "Board" in par. (2) and concluding provisions.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102-569, §507(c), substituted "the rate of pay for level 4 of the Senior Executive Service Schedule under section 5382" for "the rate of basic pay payable for grade GS-18 of the General Schedule, under section 5332".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102-569, §507(a), (d), inserted "Access" before "Board" and substituted "792(h)(1)" for "792(h)(2)".

1988-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(e)(1), (2), redesignated former par. (1) as subsec. (a) and former subpars. (A) and (B) as pars. (1) and (2), respectively.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(e)(1), (3), redesignated former par. (2) as subsec. (b) and substituted "travel time" for "traveltime".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(e)(1), (4), redesignated former par. (3) as subsec. (c) and inserted a comma after "the President".

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(e)(1), redesignated former par. (4) as subsec. (d).

§794c. Interagency Disability Coordinating Council

(a) Establishment

There is hereby established an Interagency Disability Coordinating Council (hereafter in this section referred to as the "Council") composed of the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Transportation, the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, the Attorney General, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, the Chairperson of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Chairperson of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, the Chairperson of the National Council on Disability, and such other officials as may be designated by the President.

(b) Duties

The Council shall-

(1) have the responsibility for developing and implementing agreements, policies, and practices designed to maximize effort, promote efficiency, and eliminate conflict, competition, duplication, and inconsistencies among the operations, functions, and jurisdictions of the various departments, agencies, and branches of the Federal Government responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the provisions of this subchapter, and the regulations prescribed thereunder;

(2) be responsible for developing and implementing agreements, policies, and practices designed to coordinate operations, functions, and jurisdictions of the various departments and agencies of the Federal Government responsible for promoting the full integration into society, independence, and productivity of individuals with disabilities; and

(3) carry out such studies and other activities, subject to the availability of resources, with advice from the National Council on Disability, in order to identify methods for overcoming barriers to integration into society, independence, and productivity of individuals with disabilities.

(c) Report

On or before July 1 of each year, the Interagency Disability Coordinating Council shall prepare and submit to the President and to the Congress a report of the activities of the Council designed to promote and meet the employment needs of individuals with disabilities, together with such recommendations for legislative and administrative changes as the Council concludes are desirable to further promote this section, along with any comments submitted by the National Council on Disability as to the effectiveness of such activities and recommendations in meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities. Nothing in this section shall impair any responsibilities assigned by any Executive order to any Federal department, agency, or instrumentality to act as a lead Federal agency with respect to any provisions of this subchapter.

Amendments

2014-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113-128 inserted "the Chairperson of the National Council on Disability," before "and such other".

1992- Pub. L. 102-569 amended section generally, changing Council name from Interagency Coordinating Council to Interagency Disability Coordinating Council, including as members Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of Transportation, and such other officials as designated by the President, requiring Council to be responsible for developing and implementing policies and practices to eliminate inconsistencies among Federal departments and agencies responsible for enforcement of provisions of this subchapter and to carry out such studies and other activities, with advice from the National Council on Disability, to identify methods for overcoming barriers to integration into society, independence, and productivity of individuals with disabilities, and directing in annual report inclusion of any comments submitted by National Council on Disability as to effectiveness of activities and recommendations in meeting needs of individuals with disabilities.

1986- Pub. L. 99-506, §602, inserted reference to Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs.

Pub. L. 99-506, §1001(f)(4), which directed the substitution of "Chairperson" for "Chairman" was executed by substituting "Chairperson of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board" for "Chairman of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board" to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

1984- Pub. L. 98-221 substituted "Chairman of the Office of Personnel Management" for "Chairman of the United States Civil Service Commission" and purported to substitute "Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Health and Human Services," for "Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare" which amendment could not be executed in view of the previous amendment by Pub. L. 96-88. See 1979 Amendment note below.

1979- Pub. L. 96-88 substituted requirement that the Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Services be members of the Council for requirement that the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare be a member.

Effective Date of 1979 Amendment

Termination of Reporting Requirements

For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions in subsec. (c) of this section relating to requirement that the Council submit an annual report of activities to Congress, see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104-66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance, and page 175 of House Document No. 103-7.

§794d. Electronic and information technology

(a) Requirements for Federal departments and agencies

(1) Accessibility

(A) Development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology

When developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic and information technology, each Federal department or agency, including the United States Postal Service, shall ensure, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the department or agency, that the electronic and information technology allows, regardless of the type of medium of the technology-

(i) individuals with disabilities who are Federal employees to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of the information and data by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities; and

(ii) individuals with disabilities who are members of the public seeking information or services from a Federal department or agency to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of the information and data by such members of the public who are not individuals with disabilities.

(B) Alternative means efforts

When development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology that meets the standards published by the Access Board under paragraph (2) would impose an undue burden, the Federal department or agency shall provide individuals with disabilities covered by paragraph (1) with the information and data involved by an alternative means of access that allows the individual to use the information and data.

(2) Electronic and information technology standards

(A) In general

Not later than 18 months after August 7, 1998, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (referred to in this section as the "Access Board"), after consultation with the Secretary of Education, the Administrator of General Services, the Secretary of Commerce, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, the Secretary of Defense, and the head of any other Federal department or agency that the Access Board determines to be appropriate, including consultation on relevant research findings, and after consultation with the electronic and information technology industry and appropriate public or nonprofit agencies or organizations, including organizations representing individuals with disabilities, shall issue and publish standards setting forth-

(i) for purposes of this section, a definition of electronic and information technology that is consistent with the definition of information technology specified in section 11101(6) of title 40; and

(ii) the technical and functional performance criteria necessary to implement the requirements set forth in paragraph (1).

(B) Review and amendment

The Access Board shall periodically review and, as appropriate, amend the standards required under subparagraph (A) to reflect technological advances or changes in electronic and information technology.

(3) Incorporation of standards

Not later than 6 months after the Access Board publishes the standards required under paragraph (2), the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council shall revise the Federal Acquisition Regulation and each Federal department or agency shall revise the Federal procurement policies and directives under the control of the department or agency to incorporate those standards. Not later than 6 months after the Access Board revises any standards required under paragraph (2), the Council shall revise the Federal Acquisition Regulation and each appropriate Federal department or agency shall revise the procurement policies and directives, as necessary, to incorporate the revisions.

(4) Acquisition planning

In the event that a Federal department or agency determines that compliance with the standards issued by the Access Board under paragraph (2) relating to procurement imposes an undue burden, the documentation by the department or agency supporting the procurement shall explain why compliance creates an undue burden.

(5) Exemption for national security systems

This section shall not apply to national security systems, as that term is defined in section 11103(a) of title 40.

(6) Construction

(A) Equipment

In a case in which the Federal Government provides access to the public to information or data through electronic and information technology, nothing in this section shall be construed to require a Federal department or agency-

(i) to make equipment owned by the Federal Government available for access and use by individuals with disabilities covered by paragraph (1) at a location other than that where the electronic and information technology is provided to the public; or

(ii) to purchase equipment for access and use by individuals with disabilities covered by paragraph (1) at a location other than that where the electronic and information technology is provided to the public.

(B) Software and peripheral devices

Except as required to comply with standards issued by the Access Board under paragraph (2), nothing in paragraph (1) requires the installation of specific accessibility-related software or the attachment of a specific accessibility-related peripheral device at a workstation of a Federal employee who is not an individual with a disability.

(b) Technical assistance

The Administrator of General Services and the Access Board shall provide technical assistance to individuals and Federal departments and agencies concerning the requirements of this section.

(c) Agency evaluations

Not later than 6 months after August 7, 1998, the head of each Federal department or agency shall evaluate the extent to which the electronic and information technology of the department or agency is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities described in subsection (a)(1), compared to the access to and use of the technology by individuals described in such subsection who are not individuals with disabilities, and submit a report containing the evaluation to the Attorney General.

(d) Reports

(1) Interim report

Not later than 18 months after August 7, 1998, the Attorney General shall prepare and submit to the President a report containing information on and recommendations regarding the extent to which the electronic and information technology of the Federal Government is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities described in subsection (a)(1).

(2) Biennial reports

Not later than 3 years after August 7, 1998, and every 2 years thereafter, the Attorney General shall prepare and submit to the President and Congress a report containing information on and recommendations regarding the state of Federal department and agency compliance with the requirements of this section, including actions regarding individual complaints under subsection (f).

(e) Cooperation

Each head of a Federal department or agency (including the Access Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the General Services Administration) shall provide to the Attorney General such information as the Attorney General determines is necessary to conduct the evaluations under subsection (c) and prepare the reports under subsection (d).

(f) Enforcement

(1) General

(A) Complaints

Effective 6 months after the date of publication by the Access Board of final standards described in subsection (a)(2), any individual with a disability may file a complaint alleging that a Federal department or agency fails to comply with subsection (a)(1) in providing electronic and information technology.

(B) Application

This subsection shall apply only to electronic and information technology that is procured by a Federal department or agency not less than 6 months after the date of publication by the Access Board of final standards described in subsection (a)(2).

(2) Administrative complaints

Complaints filed under paragraph (1) shall be filed with the Federal department or agency alleged to be in noncompliance. The Federal department or agency receiving the complaint shall apply the complaint procedures established to implement section 794 of this title for resolving allegations of discrimination in a federally conducted program or activity.

(3) Civil actions

The remedies, procedures, and rights set forth in sections 794a(a)(2) and 794a(b) of this title shall be the remedies, procedures, and rights available to any individual with a disability filing a complaint under paragraph (1).

(g) Application to other Federal laws

This section shall not be construed to limit any right, remedy, or procedure otherwise available under any provision of Federal law (including sections 791 through 794a of this title) that provides greater or equal protection for the rights of individuals with disabilities than this section.

Codification

" Section 11101(6) of title 40" substituted in subsec. (a)(2)(A)(i) for "section 5002(3) of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 ( 40 U.S.C. 1401(3))" and " section 11103(a) of title 40" substituted in subsec. (a)(5) for "section 5142 of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 ( 40 U.S.C. 1452)" on authority of Pub. L. 107-217, §5(c), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1303, the first section of which enacted Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works.

Amendments

2000-Subsec. (f)(1)(A). Pub. L. 106-246, §2405(1), substituted "Effective 6 months after the date of publication by the Access Board of final standards described in subsection (a)(2)," for "Effective 2 years after August 7, 1998,".

Subsec. (f)(1)(B). Pub. L. 106-246, §2405(2), substituted "6 months after the date of publication by the Access Board of final standards described in subsection (a)(2)." for "2 years after August 7, 1998."

1998- Pub. L. 105-220 amended section catchline and text generally. Prior to amendment, text consisted of subsecs. (a) and (b) relating to electronic and information technology accessibility guidelines.

1992- Pub. L. 102-569 amended section generally, substituting present provisions for provisions relating to electronic equipment accessibility guidelines, in consultation with electronic industry, designed to insure individuals with handicaps use of electronic office equipment with or without special peripherals, requiring the Administrator of General Services to adopt guidelines for electronic equipment accessibility established under this section for Federal procurement of electronic equipment, and defining term "special peripherals".

1988-Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(f)(1), inserted "the Director of" before "the National Institute", struck out "the" before "General Services", and substituted "individuals with handicaps" for "handicapped individuals".

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(f)(2), inserted "by the Director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the Administrator of General Services in consultation with the electronics industry and the Interagency Committee for Computer Support of Handicapped Employees" after "revised".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100-630, §206(f)(3), substituted "an individual with handicaps" for "a handicapped individual".

§794e. Protection and advocacy of individual rights

(a) Purpose and construction

(1) Purpose

The purpose of this section is to support a system in each State to protect the legal and human rights of individuals with disabilities who-

(A) need services that are beyond the scope of services authorized to be provided by the client assistance program under section 732 of this title; and

(B)(i) are ineligible for protection and advocacy programs under subtitle C of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 [ 42 U.S.C. 15041 et seq.] because the individuals do not have a developmental disability, as defined in section 102 of such Act [ 42 U.S.C. 15002]; and

(ii) are ineligible for services under the Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act of 1986 ( 42 U.S.C. 10801 et seq.) because the individuals are not individuals with mental illness, as defined in section 102 of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 10802).

(2) Construction

This section shall not be construed to require the provision of protection and advocacy services that can be provided under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 [ 29 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.].

(b) Appropriations less than $5,500,000

For any fiscal year in which the amount appropriated to carry out this section is less than $5,500,000, the Commissioner may make grants from such amount to eligible systems within States to plan for, develop outreach strategies for, and carry out protection and advocacy programs authorized under this section for individuals with disabilities who meet the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (a)(1).

(c) Appropriations of $5,500,000 or more

(1) Reservations

(A) Technical assistance

For any fiscal year in which the amount appropriated to carry out this section equals or exceeds $5,500,000, the Commissioner shall set aside not less than 1.8 percent and not more than 2.2 percent of the amount to provide a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement for training and technical assistance to the systems established under this section.

(B) Grant for the eligible system serving the American Indian consortium

For any fiscal year in which the amount appropriated to carry out this section equals or exceeds $10,500,000, the Commissioner shall reserve a portion, and use the portion to make a grant for the eligible system serving the American Indian consortium. The Commission shall make the grant in an amount of not less than $50,000 for the fiscal year.

(2) Allotments

For any such fiscal year, after the reservations required by paragraph (1) have been made, the Commissioner shall make allotments from the remainder of such amount in accordance with paragraph (3) to eligible systems within States to enable such systems to carry out protection and advocacy programs authorized under this section for individuals referred to in subsection (b).

(3) Systems within States

(A) Population basis

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), from such remainder for each such fiscal year, the Commissioner shall make an allotment to the eligible system within a State of an amount bearing the same ratio to such remainder as the population of the State bears to the population of all States.

(B) Minimums

Subject to the availability of appropriations to carry out this section, and except as provided in paragraph (4), the allotment to any system under subparagraph (A) shall be not less than $100,000 or 1/3 of 1 percent of the remainder for the fiscal year for which the allotment is made, whichever is greater, and the allotment to any system under this section for any fiscal year that is less than $100,000 or 1/3 of 1 percent of such remainder shall be increased to the greater of the two amounts.

(4) Systems within other jurisdictions

(A) In general

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(B), Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands shall not be considered to be States.

(B) Allotment

The eligible system within a jurisdiction described in subparagraph (A) shall be allotted under paragraph (3)(A) not less than $50,000 for the fiscal year for which the allotment is made.

(5) Adjustment for inflation

For any fiscal year, beginning in fiscal year 1999, in which the total amount appropriated to carry out this section exceeds the total amount appropriated to carry out this section for the preceding fiscal year, the Commissioner shall increase each of the minimum grants or allotments under paragraphs (1)(B), (3)(B), and (4)(B) by a percentage that shall not exceed the percentage increase in the total amount appropriated to carry out this section between the preceding fiscal year and the fiscal year involved.

(d) Proportional reduction

To provide minimum allotments to systems within States (as increased under subsection (c)(5)) under subsection (c)(3)(B), or to provide minimum allotments to systems within States (as increased under subsection (c)(5)) under subsection (c)(4)(B), the Commissioner shall proportionately reduce the allotments of the remaining systems within States under subsection (c)(3), with such adjustments as may be necessary to prevent the allotment of any such remaining system within a State from being reduced to less than the minimum allotment for a system within a State (as increased under subsection (c)(5)) under subsection (c)(3)(B), or the minimum allotment for a State (as increased under subsection (c)(5)) under subsection (c)(4)(B), as appropriate.

(e) Reallotment

Whenever the Commissioner determines that any amount of an allotment to a system within a State for any fiscal year described in subsection (c)(1) will not be expended by such system in carrying out the provisions of this section, the Commissioner shall make such amount available for carrying out the provisions of this section to one or more of the systems that the Commissioner determines will be able to use additional amounts during such year for carrying out such provisions. Any amount made available to a system for any fiscal year pursuant to the preceding sentence shall, for the purposes of this section, be regarded as an increase in the allotment of the system (as determined under the preceding provisions of this section) for such year.

(f) Application

In order to receive assistance under this section, an eligible system shall submit an application to the Commissioner, at such time, in such form and manner, and containing such information and assurances as the Commissioner determines necessary to meet the requirements of this section, including assurances that the eligible system will-

(1) have in effect a system to protect and advocate the rights of individuals with disabilities;

(2) have the same general authorities, including the authority to access records and program income, as are set forth in subtitle C of title I of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 [ 42 U.S.C. 15041 et seq.];

(3) have the authority to pursue legal, administrative, and other appropriate remedies or approaches to ensure the protection of, and advocacy for, the rights of such individuals within the State or the American Indian consortium who are individuals described in subsection (a)(1);

(4) provide information on and make referrals to programs and services addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities in the State or the American Indian consortium;

(5) develop a statement of objectives and priorities on an annual basis, and provide to the public, including individuals with disabilities and, as appropriate, the individuals' representatives, an opportunity to comment on the objectives and priorities established by, and activities of, the system including-

(A) the objectives and priorities for the activities of the system for each year and the rationale for the establishment of such objectives and priorities; and

(B) the coordination of programs provided through the system under this section with the advocacy programs of the client assistance program under section 732 of this title, the State long-term care ombudsman program established under the Older Americans Act of 1965 ( 42 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.), the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 [ 42 U.S.C. 15001 et seq.], and the Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act of 1986 ( 42 U.S.C. 10801 et seq.);

(6) establish a grievance procedure for clients or prospective clients of the system to ensure that individuals with disabilities are afforded equal opportunity to access the services of the system; and

(7) provide assurances to the Commissioner that funds made available under this section will be used to supplement and not supplant the non-Federal funds that would otherwise be made available for the purpose for which Federal funds are provided.

(g) Carryover and direct payment

(1) Direct payment

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Commissioner shall pay directly to any system that complies with the provisions of this section, the amount of the allotment of the State or the grant for the eligible system that serves the American Indian consortium involved under this section, unless the State or American Indian consortium provides otherwise.

(2) Carryover

Any amount paid to an eligible system that serves a State or American Indian consortium for a fiscal year that remains unobligated at the end of such year shall remain available to such system that serves the State or American Indian consortium for obligation during the next fiscal year for the purposes for which such amount was paid.

(h) Limitation on disclosure requirements

For purposes of any audit, report, or evaluation of the performance of the program established under this section, the Commissioner shall not require such a program to disclose the identity of, or any other personally identifiable information related to, any individual requesting assistance under such program.

(i) Administrative cost

In any State in which an eligible system is located within a State agency, a State may use a portion of any allotment under subsection (c) for the cost of the administration of the system required by this section. Such portion may not exceed 5 percent of the allotment.

(j) Delegation

The Commissioner may delegate the administration of this program to the Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities within the Department of Health and Human Services.

(k) Report

The Commissioner shall annually prepare and submit to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate a report describing the types of services and activities being undertaken by programs funded under this section, the total number of individuals served under this section, the types of disabilities represented by such individuals, and the types of issues being addressed on behalf of such individuals.

(l) Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $17,650,000 for fiscal year 2015, $19,013,000 for fiscal year 2016, $19,408,000 for fiscal year 2017, $19,838,000 for fiscal year 2018, $20,305,000 for fiscal year 2019, and $20,735,000 for fiscal year 2020.

(m) Definitions

As used in this section:

(1) Eligible system

The term "eligible system" means a protection and advocacy system that is established under subtitle C of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 [ 42 U.S.C. 15041 et seq.] and that meets the requirements of subsection (f).

(2) American Indian consortium

The term "American Indian consortium" means a consortium established as described in section 142 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act ( 42 U.S.C. 6042).

References in Text

The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1)(B)(i), (f)(2), (5)(B), and (m)(1), is Pub. L. 106-402, Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1677, which is classified principally to chapter 144 (§15001 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Subtitle C of title I of the Act is classified generally to part C (§15041 et seq.) of subchapter I of chapter 144 of Title 42. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 15001 of Title 42 and Tables.

The Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act of 1986, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1)(B)(ii) and (f)(5)(B), was Pub. L. 99-319, May 23, 1986, 100 Stat. 478, as amended. Pub. L. 99-319 was renamed the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Act by Pub. L. 106-310, div. B, title XXXII, §3206(a), Oct. 17, 2000, 114 Stat. 1193, and is classified generally to chapter 114 (§10801 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 10801 of Title 42 and Tables.

Section 142 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act ( 42 U.S.C. 6042), referred to in subsec. (m)(2), was repealed by Pub. L. 106-402, title IV, §401(a), Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1737.

Amendments

2014-Subsec. (c)(1)(A). Pub. L. 113-128, §457(1), inserted "a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement for" before "training".

Subsec. (f)(2). Pub. L. 113-128, §457(2), substituted "general authorities, including the authority to access records" for "general authorities, including access to records" and inserted "of title I" after "subtitle C".

Subsec. (l). Pub. L. 113-128, §457(3), substituted "$17,650,000 for fiscal year 2015, $19,013,000 for fiscal year 2016, $19,408,000 for fiscal year 2017, $19,838,000 for fiscal year 2018, $20,305,000 for fiscal year 2019, and $20,735,000 for fiscal year 2020." for "such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1999 through 2003."

Subsec. (f)(5)(B). Pub. L. 106-402, §401(b)(3)(D), substituted "Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000" for "Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act ( 42 U.S.C. 6000 et seq.)".

Subsec. (m)(1). Pub. L. 106-402, §401(b)(3)(C), substituted "subtitle C of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000" for "part C of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act ( 42 U.S.C. 6041 et seq.)".

1998- Pub. L. 105-220 amended section catchline and text generally. Prior to amendment, text consisted of subsecs. (a) to (n) relating to protection and advocacy of individual rights.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 105-394 substituted "the Assistive Technology Act of 1998" for "the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals With Disabilities Act of 1988 ( 42 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.)".

1997-Subsec. (f)(8). Pub. L. 105-12 added par. (8).

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103-73, §112(c)(2), added subsec. (b) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (b). Text read as follows:

"(1) Allotments.-For any fiscal year in which the amount appropriated to carry out this section is less than $5,500,000, the Commissioner may make grants from such amount to eligible systems within States to plan for, develop outreach strategies for, and carry out protection and advocacy programs authorized under this section for individuals with disabilities who meet the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a).

"(2) Other jurisdictions.-For the purposes of this subsection, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of Palau shall not be considered to be States."

Subsec. (c)(4)(A). Pub. L. 103-73, §112(c)(3)(A)(i), substituted "paragraph (3)(B)" for "this subsection".

Subsec. (c)(4)(B). Pub. L. 103-73, §112(c)(3)(A)(ii), substituted "allotted under paragraph (3)(A)" for "allotted".

Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 103-73, §112(c)(3)(B), added par. (5) and struck out heading and text of former par. (5). Text read as follows:

"(A) States.-For purposes of determining the minimum amount of an allotment under paragraph (3)(B), the amount $100,000 shall, in the case of such allotments for fiscal year 1994 and subsequent fiscal years, be increased to the extent necessary to offset the effects of inflation occurring since October 1992, as measured by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers (U.S. city average) during the period ending on April 1 of the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the allotment is to be made.

"(B) Certain territories.-For purposes of determining the minimum amount of an allotment under paragraph (4)(B), the amount $50,000 shall, in the case of such allotments for fiscal year 1994 and subsequent fiscal years, be increased to the extent necessary to offset the effects of inflation occurring since October 1992, as measured by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers (U.S. city average) during the period ending on April 1 of the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the allotment is to be made."

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103-73, §112(c)(4), added subsec. (d) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (d). Text read as follows: "Amounts necessary to provide allotments to systems within States in accordance with subsection (c)(3)(B) as increased under subsection (c)(5), or to provide allotments in accordance with subsection (c)(4)(B) as increased in accordance with subsection (c)(5), shall be derived by proportionately reducing the allotments of the remaining systems within States under subsection (c)(3), but with such adjustments as may be necessary to prevent the allotment of any such remaining systems within States from being thereby reduced to less than the greater of $100,000 or one-third of one percent of the sums made available for purposes of this section for the fiscal year for which the allotment is made, as increased in accordance with subsection (c)(5)."

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 103-73, §112(c)(6), which directed the amendment of this section "in subsection (i), to read as follows:", was executed by adding subsec. (i). Former subsec. (i) redesignated (n).

Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 103-73, §112(c)(7), added subsec. (j) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (j). Text read as follows: "An eligible system may not use more than 5 percent of any allotment under subsection (c) for the cost of administration of the system required by this section."

Subsec. (n). Pub. L. 103-73, §112(c)(5), redesignated subsec. (i) as (n).

Change of Name

Committee on Education and the Workforce of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Education and Labor of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2019.

Committee on Labor and Human Resources of Senate changed to Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of Senate by Senate Resolution No. 20, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 19, 1999.

Effective Date of 1997 Amendment

§794f. Establishment of standards for accessible medical diagnostic equipment

(a) Standards

Not later than 24 months after March 23, 2010, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board shall, in consultation with the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, promulgate regulatory standards in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act ( 2 U.S.C. 551 et seq.) setting forth the minimum technical criteria for medical diagnostic equipment used in (or in conjunction with) physician's offices, clinics, emergency rooms, hospitals, and other medical settings. The standards shall ensure that such equipment is accessible to, and usable by, individuals with accessibility needs, and shall allow independent entry to, use of, and exit from the equipment by such individuals to the maximum extent possible.

(b) Medical diagnostic equipment covered

The standards issued under subsection (a) for medical diagnostic equipment shall apply to equipment that includes examination tables, examination chairs (including chairs used for eye examinations or procedures, and dental examinations or procedures), weight scales, mammography equipment, x-ray machines, and other radiological equipment commonly used for diagnostic purposes by health professionals.

(c) Review and amendment

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, in consultation with the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, shall periodically review and, as appropriate, amend the standards in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act ( 2 U.S.C. 551 et seq.).

( Pub. L. 93-112, title V, §510, as added Pub. L. 111-148, title IV, §4203, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 570.)

References in Text

March 23, 2010, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original "the date of enactment of the Affordable Health Choices Act", which was translated as meaning the date of enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. 111-148, which enacted this section, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

The Administrative Procedure Act, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (c), is act June 11, 1946, ch. 324, 60 Stat. 237, which was repealed and reenacted as subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, by Pub. L. 89-554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 378.

§794g. Limitations on use of subminimum wage

(a) In general

No entity, including a contractor or subcontractor of the entity, which holds a special wage certificate as described in section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 ( 29 U.S.C. 214(c)) may compensate an individual with a disability who is age 24 or younger at a wage (referred to in this section as a "subminimum wage") that is less than the Federal minimum wage unless 1 of the following conditions is met:

(1) The individual is currently employed, as of the effective date of this section, by an entity that holds a valid certificate pursuant to section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

(2) The individual, before beginning work that is compensated at a subminimum wage, has completed, and produces documentation indicating completion of, each of the following actions:

(A) The individual has received pre-employment transition services that are available to the individual under section 733 of this title, or transition services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) such as transition services available to the individual under section 614(d) of that Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)).

(B) The individual has applied for vocational rehabilitation services under subchapter I, with the result that-

(i)(I) the individual has been found ineligible for such services pursuant to that subchapter and has documentation consistent with section 722(a)(5)(C) of this title regarding the determination of ineligibility; or

(II)(aa) the individual has been determined to be eligible for vocational rehabilitation services;

(bb) the individual has an individualized plan for employment under section 722 of this title;

(cc) the individual has been working toward an employment outcome specified in such individualized plan for employment, with appropriate supports and services, including supported employment services, for a reasonable period of time without success; and

(dd) the individual's vocational rehabilitation case is closed; and

(ii)(I) the individual has been provided career counseling, and information and referrals to Federal and State programs and other resources in the individual's geographic area that offer employment-related services and supports designed to enable the individual to explore, discover, experience, and attain competitive integrated employment; and

(II) such counseling and information and referrals are not for employment compensated at a subminimum wage provided by an entity described in this subsection, and such employment-related services are not compensated at a subminimum wage and do not directly result in employment compensated at a subminimum wage provided by an entity described in this subsection.

(b) Construction

(1) Rule

Nothing in this section shall be construed to-

(A) change the purpose of this chapter described in section 701(b)(2) of this title, to empower individuals with disabilities to maximize opportunities for competitive integrated employment; or

(B) preference employment compensated at a subminimum wage as an acceptable vocational rehabilitation strategy or successful employment outcome, as defined in section 705(11) of this title.

(2) Contracts

A local educational agency (as defined in section 7801 of title 20) or a State educational agency (as defined in such section) may not enter into a contract or other arrangement with an entity described in subsection (a) for the purpose of operating a program for an individual who is age 24 or younger under which work is compensated at a subminimum wage.

(3) Voidability

The provisions in this section shall be construed in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 ( 29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), as amended before or after the effective date of this Act.

(c) During employment

(1) In general

The entity described in subsection (a) may not continue to employ an individual, regardless of age, at a subminimum wage unless, after the individual begins work at that wage, at the intervals described in paragraph (2), the individual (with, in an appropriate case, the individual's parent or guardian)-

(A) is provided by the designated State unit career counseling, and information and referrals described in subsection (a)(2)(B)(ii), delivered in a manner that facilitates independent decisionmaking and informed choice, as the individual makes decisions regarding employment and career advancement; and

(B) is informed by the employer of self-advocacy, self-determination, and peer mentoring training opportunities available in the individual's geographic area, provided by an entity that does not have any financial interest in the individual's employment outcome, under applicable Federal and State programs or other sources.

(2) Timing

The actions required under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) shall be carried out once every 6 months for the first year of the individual's employment at a subminimum wage, and annually thereafter for the duration of such employment.

(3) Small business exception

In the event that the entity described in subsection (a) is a business with fewer than 15 employees, such entity can satisfy the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) by referring the individual, at the intervals described in paragraph (2), to the designated State unit for the counseling, information, and referrals described in paragraph (1)(A) and the information described in paragraph (1)(B).

(d) Documentation

(1) In general

The designated State unit, in consultation with the State educational agency, shall develop a new process or utilize an existing process, consistent with guidelines developed by the Secretary, to document the completion of the actions described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (a)(2) by a youth with a disability who is an individual with a disability.

(2) Documentation process

Such process shall require that-

(A) in the case of a student with a disability, for documentation of actions described in subsection (a)(2)(A)-

(i) if such a student with a disability receives and completes each category of required activities in section 733(b) of this title, such completion of services shall be documented by the designated State unit in a manner consistent with this section;

(ii) if such a student with a disability receives and completes any transition services available for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [ 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.], including those provided under section 614(d)(1)(A)(i)(VIII) ( 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(VIII)), such completion of services shall be documented by the appropriate school official responsible for the provision of such transition services, in a manner consistent with this section; and

(iii) the designated State unit shall provide the final documentation, in a form and manner consistent with this section, of the completion of pre-employment transition services as described in clause (i), or transition services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as described in clause (ii), to the student with a disability within a reasonable period of time following the completion; and

(B) when an individual has completed the actions described in subsection (a)(2)(B), the designated State unit shall provide the individual a document indicating such completion, in a manner consistent with this section, within a reasonable time period following the completion of the actions described in this subparagraph.

(e) Verification

(1) Before employment

Before an individual covered by subsection (a)(2) begins work for an entity described in subsection (a) at a subminimum wage, the entity shall review such documentation received by the individual under subsection (d), and provided by the individual to the entity, that indicates that the individual has completed the actions described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (a)(2) and the entity shall maintain copies of such documentation.

(2) During employment

(A) In general

In order to continue to employ an individual at a subminimum wage, the entity described in subsection (a) shall verify completion of the requirements of subsection (c), including reviewing any relevant documents provided by the individual, and shall maintain copies of the documentation described in subsection (d).

(B) Review of documentation

The entity described in subsection (a) shall be subject to review of individual documentation described in subsection (d) by a representative working directly for the designated State unit or the Department of Labor at such a time and in such a manner as may be necessary to fulfill the intent of this section, consistent with regulations established by the designated State unit or the Secretary of Labor.

(f) Federal minimum wage

In this section, the term "Federal minimum wage" means the rate applicable under section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 ( 29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)).

( Pub. L. 93-112, title V, §511, as added Pub. L. 113-128, title IV, §458(a), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1676; amended Pub. L. 114-95, title IX, §9215(mmm)(4)(A), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2188.)

References in Text

The effective date of this section, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), means 2 years after July 22, 2014. See Effective Date note below.

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), is act June 25, 1938, ch. 676, 52 Stat. 1060, which is classified generally to chapter 8 (§201 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 201 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

Effective Date of 2015 Amendment

Pub. L. 114-95, title IX, §9215(mmm)(4)(B), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2188, provided that: "The amendment made by subparagraph (A) [amending this section] shall take effect on the same date as section 458(a) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( Public Law 113-128; 128 Stat. 1676) [enacting this section] takes effect, and as if enacted as part of such section."

Effective Date

Pub. L. 113-128, title IV, §458(b), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1679, provided that: "This section [enacting this section] takes effect 2 years after the date of enactment of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [July 22, 2014]."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
[USC02] 29 USC CHAPTER 16, SUBCHAPTER V: RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Section, Pub. L. 93-112, title V, §500, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 390 , related to effects on existing law, references in other provisions, availability of unexpended appropriations, savings provision, and extension of appropriations.

# data[].attributes.headline
Slide #7: Screening and Treatment for Dyslexia and Related Disorders, Texas Education Code §38.003 – State Statutory 

# data[].attributes.subject
Slide #7: Screening and Treatment for Dyslexia and Related Disorders, Texas Education Code §38.003 – State Statutory 

# data[].attributes.body
The law defines dyslexia, requires screening and testing students for dyslexia and provision of instruction for student with dyslexia, and give the State Board of Education (SBOE) authority to adopt rules and standards for screening, testing, and serving students with dyslexia. The law also requires students to be screened or tested at appropriate times with a program approved by the SBOE. Screening must occur at the end of the school year of each student in kindergarten and the first grade (TEC §38.003).
Link to law:

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.38.htm#38.003
Reference:
Screening and treatment for Dyslexia and Related disorders, Tex. Edu. Code §38.003.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
EDUCATION CODE



TITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION



SUBTITLE G. SAFE SCHOOLS



CHAPTER 38. HEALTH AND SAFETY



SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS



Sec. 38.001. IMMUNIZATION; REQUIREMENTS; EXCEPTIONS. (a) Each student shall be fully immunized against diphtheria, rubeola, rubella, mumps, tetanus, and poliomyelitis, except as provided by Subsection (c).


Text of subsection as amended by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 43 (H.B. 1098), Sec. 1



(b) Subject to Subsections (b-1) and (c), the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission may modify or delete any of the immunizations in Subsection (a) or may require immunizations against additional diseases as a requirement for admission to any elementary or secondary school.


Text of subsection as amended by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 94 (H.B. 1059), Sec. 2



(b) Subject to Subsection (c), the Department of State Health Services may modify or delete any of the immunizations in Subsection (a) or may require immunizations against additional diseases as a requirement for admission to any elementary or secondary school.


(b-1) Each year, the Department of State Health Services shall prepare a list of the immunizations required under this section for admission to public schools and of any additional immunizations the department recommends for school-age children. The department shall prepare the list in English and Spanish and make the list available in a manner that permits a school district to easily post the list on the district's Internet website as required by Section 38.019.


(c) Immunization is not required for a person's admission to any elementary or secondary school if the person applying for admission:


(1) submits to the admitting official:


(A) an affidavit or a certificate signed by a physician who is duly registered and licensed to practice medicine in the United States, in which it is stated that, in the physician's opinion, the immunization required poses a significant risk to the health and well-being of the applicant or any member of the applicant's family or household; or


(B) an affidavit signed by the applicant or, if a minor, by the applicant's parent or guardian stating that the applicant declines immunization for reasons of conscience, including a religious belief; or


(2) is a member of the armed forces of the United States and is on active duty.


(c-1) An affidavit submitted under Section (c)(1)(B) must be on a form described by Section 161.0041, Health and Safety Code, and must be submitted to the admitting official not later than the 90th day after the date the affidavit is notarized.


(d) The Department of State Health Services shall provide the required immunization to children in areas where no local provision exists to provide those services.


(e) A person may be provisionally admitted to an elementary or secondary school if the person has begun the required immunizations and if the person continues to receive the necessary immunizations as rapidly as is medically feasible. The Department of State Health Services shall adopt rules relating to the provisional admission of persons to an elementary or secondary school.


(f) A person who has not received the immunizations required by this section for reasons of conscience, including because of the person's religious beliefs, may be excluded from school in times of emergency or epidemic declared by the commissioner of public health.


Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 198, Sec. 2.160, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.


Amended by:


Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 43 (H.B. 1098), Sec. 1, eff. May 8, 2007.


Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 94 (H.B. 1059), Sec. 2, eff. May 15, 2007.


Sec. 38.002. IMMUNIZATION RECORDS; REPORTING. (a) Each public school shall keep an individual immunization record during the period of attendance for each student admitted. The records shall be open for inspection at all reasonable times by the Texas Education Agency or by representatives of local health departments or the Texas Department of Health.


(b) Each public school shall cooperate in transferring students' immunization records to other schools. Specific approval from students, parents, or guardians is not required before transferring those records.


(c) The Texas Education Agency and the Texas Department of Health shall develop the form for a required annual report of the immunization status of students. The report shall be submitted by all schools at the time and in the manner indicated in the instructions printed on the form.


Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.


Sec. 38.0025. DISSEMINATION OF BACTERIAL MENINGITIS INFORMATION. (a) The Department of State Health Services shall prescribe procedures by which each school district shall provide information relating to bacterial meningitis to its students and their parents each school year. The procedures must ensure that the information is reasonably likely to come to the attention of the parents of each student. The department shall prescribe the form and content of the information. The information must cover:


(1) the symptoms of the disease, how it may be diagnosed, and its possible consequences if untreated;


(2) how the disease is transmitted, how it may be prevented, and the relative risk of contracting the disease for primary and secondary school students;


(3) the availability and effectiveness of vaccination against and treatment for the disease, and a brief description of the risks and possible side effects of vaccination; and


(4) sources of additional information regarding the disease, including any appropriate office of the school district and the appropriate office of the department.


(b) Repealed by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1187 (H.B. 3884), Sec. 2, eff. June 14, 2019.


(c) A school district, with the written consent of the Department of State Health Services, may provide the information required by this section to its students and their parents by a method different from the method prescribed by the department under Subsection (a) if the department determines that method would be effective in bringing the information to the attention of the parents of each student.


Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 219, Sec. 2, eff. May 22, 2001.


Amended by:


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1187 (H.B. 3884), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1187 (H.B. 3884), Sec. 2, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.003. SCREENING AND TREATMENT FOR DYSLEXIA AND RELATED DISORDERS. (a) Students enrolling in public schools in this state shall be screened or tested, as appropriate, for dyslexia and related disorders at appropriate times in accordance with a program approved by the State Board of Education. The program must include screening at the end of the school year of each student in kindergarten and each student in the first grade.


(b) In accordance with the program approved by the State Board of Education, the board of trustees of each school district shall provide for the treatment of any student determined to have dyslexia or a related disorder.


(b-1) Unless otherwise provided by law, a student determined to have dyslexia during screening or testing under Subsection (a) or accommodated because of dyslexia may not be rescreened or retested for dyslexia for the purpose of reassessing the student's need for accommodations until the district reevaluates the information obtained from previous screening or testing of the student.


(c) Subject to Subsection (c-1), the State Board of Education shall adopt any rules and standards necessary to administer this section.


(c-1) The agency by rule shall develop procedures designed to allow the agency to:


(1) effectively audit and monitor and periodically conduct site visits of all school districts to ensure that districts are complying with this section, including the program approved by the State Board of Education under this section;


(2) identify any problems school districts experience in complying with this section, including the program approved by the State Board of Education under this section; and


(3) develop reasonable and appropriate remedial strategies to address school district noncompliance and ensure the purposes of this section are accomplished.


(d) In this section:


(1) "Dyslexia" means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity.


(2) "Related disorders" includes disorders similar to or related to dyslexia, such as developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.


Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.


Amended by:


Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 635 (S.B. 866), Sec. 3, eff. June 17, 2011.


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1044 (H.B. 1886), Sec. 5, eff. June 15, 2017.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 450 (S.B. 2075), Sec. 3, eff. June 4, 2019.


Sec. 38.0031. CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY PLAN FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA. (a) The agency shall establish a committee to develop a plan for integrating technology into the classroom to help accommodate students with dyslexia. The plan must:


(1) determine the classroom technologies that are useful and practical in assisting public schools in accommodating students with dyslexia, considering budget constraints of school districts; and


(2) develop a strategy for providing those effective technologies to students.


(b) The agency shall provide the plan and information about the availability and benefits of the technologies identified under Subsection (a)(1) to school districts.


(c) A member of the committee established under Subsection (a) is not entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by the member under this section unless agency funds are available for that purpose.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 635 (S.B. 866), Sec. 4, eff. June 17, 2011.


Sec. 38.0032. DYSLEXIA TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. (a) The agency shall annually develop a list of training opportunities regarding dyslexia that satisfy the requirements of Section 21.054(b). The list of training opportunities must include at least one opportunity that is available online.


(b) A training opportunity included in the list developed under Subsection (a) must:


(1) comply with the knowledge and practice standards of an international organization on dyslexia; and


(2) enable an educator to:


(A) understand and recognize dyslexia; and


(B) implement instruction that is systematic, explicit, and evidence-based to meet the educational needs of a student with dyslexia.


Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1044 (H.B. 1886), Sec. 6, eff. June 15, 2017.


Sec. 38.004. CHILD ABUSE REPORTING AND PROGRAMS. (a) The agency shall develop a policy governing the reports of child abuse or neglect, including reports related to the trafficking of a child under Section 20A.02(a)(5), (6), (7), or (8), Penal Code, as required by Chapter 261, Family Code, for school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and their employees. The policy must provide for cooperation with law enforcement child abuse investigations without the consent of the child's parents if necessary, including investigations by the Department of Family and Protective Services. The policy must require each school district and open-enrollment charter school employee to report child abuse or neglect, including the trafficking of a child under Section 20A.02(a)(5) or (7), Penal Code, in the manner required by Chapter 261, Family Code. Each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt the policy.


(a-1) The agency shall:


(1) maintain on the agency Internet website a list of links to websites that provide information regarding the prevention of child abuse; and


(2) develop and periodically update a training program on prevention of child abuse that a school district may use for staff development.


(b) Each school district shall provide child abuse antivictimization programs in elementary and secondary schools.


Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.


Amended by:


Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 561 (S.B. 1456), Sec. 1, eff. June 16, 2007.


Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 592 (S.B. 939), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2013.


Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 332 (H.B. 10), Sec. 6, eff. September 1, 2015.


The following section was amended by the 87th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see S.B. 1267, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting the following section.



Sec. 38.0041. POLICIES ADDRESSING SEXUAL ABUSE AND OTHER MALTREATMENT OF CHILDREN. (a) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt and implement a policy addressing sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other maltreatment of children, to be included in the district improvement plan under Section 11.252 and any informational handbook provided to students and parents.


(a-1) A school district may collaborate with local law enforcement and outside consultants with expertise in the prevention of sexual abuse and sex trafficking to create the policy required under Subsection (a), and to create a referral protocol for high-risk students.


(b) A policy required by this section must address:


(1) methods for increasing staff, student, and parent awareness of issues regarding sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other maltreatment of children, including prevention techniques and knowledge of likely warning signs indicating that a child may be a victim of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment, using resources developed by the agency or the commissioner regarding those issues, including resources developed by the agency under Section 38.004;


(2) actions that a child who is a victim of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment should take to obtain assistance and intervention; and


(3) available counseling options for students affected by sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment.


(c) The methods under Subsection (b)(1) for increasing awareness of issues regarding sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other maltreatment of children must include training, as provided by this subsection, concerning prevention techniques for and recognition of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and all other maltreatment of children, including the sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other maltreatment of children with significant cognitive disabilities. The training:


(1) must be provided, as part of a new employee orientation, to all new school district and open-enrollment charter school employees and to existing district and open-enrollment charter school employees on a schedule adopted by the agency by rule until all district and open-enrollment charter school employees have taken the training; and


(2) must include training concerning:


(A) factors indicating a child is at risk for sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment;


(B) likely warning signs indicating a child may be a victim of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment;


(C) internal procedures for seeking assistance for a child who is at risk for sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment, including referral to a school counselor, a social worker, or another mental health professional;


(D) techniques for reducing a child's risk of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or other maltreatment; and


(E) community organizations that have relevant existing research-based programs that are able to provide training or other education for school district or open-enrollment charter school staff members, students, and parents.


(d) For any training under Subsection (c), each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall maintain records that include the name of each district or charter school staff member who participated in the training.


(e) If a school district or open-enrollment charter school determines that the district or charter school does not have sufficient resources to provide the training required under Subsection (c), the district or charter school shall work in conjunction with a community organization to provide the training at no cost to the district or charter school.


(f) The training under Subsection (c) may be included in staff development under Section 21.451.


(g) A school district or open-enrollment charter school employee may not be subject to any disciplinary proceeding, as defined by Section 22.0512(b), resulting from an action taken in compliance with this section. The requirements of this section are considered to involve an employee's judgment and discretion and are not considered ministerial acts for purposes of immunity from liability under Section 22.0511. Nothing in this section may be considered to limit the immunity from liability provided under Section 22.0511.


(h) For purposes of this section, "other maltreatment" has the meaning assigned by Section 42.002, Human Resources Code.


Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1115 (H.B. 1041), Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.


Amended by:


Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1323 (S.B. 471), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 443 (S.B. 715), Sec. 34, eff. June 14, 2013.


Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 592 (S.B. 939), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2013.


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 762 (S.B. 2039), Sec. 2, eff. June 12, 2017.


Reenacted and amended by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 303 (H.B. 111), Sec. 1, eff. May 31, 2019.


Sec. 38.0042. POSTING CHILD ABUSE HOTLINE TELEPHONE NUMBER. (a) Each public school and open-enrollment charter school shall post in a clearly visible location in a public area of the school that is readily accessible to students a sign in English and in Spanish that contains the toll-free telephone number operated by the Department of Family and Protective Services to receive reports of child abuse or neglect.


(b) The commissioner may adopt rules relating to the size and location of the sign required by Subsection (a).


Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 592 (S.B. 939), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2013.


Sec. 38.005. PROTECTIVE EYE DEVICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Each teacher and student must wear industrial-quality eye-protective devices in appropriate situations as determined by school district policy.


Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.


Sec. 38.006. E-CIGARETTES AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY. (a) In this section, "e-cigarette" has the meaning assigned by Section 161.081, Health and Safety Code.


(b) The board of trustees of a school district shall:


(1) prohibit smoking or using e-cigarettes or tobacco products at a school-related or school-sanctioned activity on or off school property;


(2) prohibit students from possessing e-cigarettes or tobacco products at a school-related or school-sanctioned activity on or off school property; and


(3) ensure that school personnel enforce the policies on school property.


Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.


Amended by:


Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 181 (S.B. 97), Sec. 38, eff. October 1, 2015.


Sec. 38.007. ALCOHOL-FREE SCHOOL ZONES. (a) The board of trustees of a school district shall prohibit the use of alcoholic beverages at a school-related or school-sanctioned activity on or off school property.


(a-1) This section does not apply to a performing arts facility leased to a nonprofit organization for an event as provided by Section 11.179.


(b) The board of trustees of a school district shall attempt to provide a safe alcohol-free environment to students coming to or going from school. The board of trustees may cooperate with local law enforcement officials and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in attempting to provide this environment and in enforcing Sections 101.75, 109.33, and 109.59, Alcoholic Beverage Code. Additionally, the board, if a majority of the area of a district is located in a municipality with a population of 900,000 or more, may petition the commissioners court of the county in which the district is located or the governing board of an incorporated city or town in which the district is located to adopt a 1,000-foot zone under Section 109.33, Alcoholic Beverage Code.


Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.


Amended by:


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 834 (H.B. 2633), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.008. POSTING OF STEROID LAW NOTICE. Each school in a school district in which there is a grade level of seven or higher shall post in a conspicuous location in the school gymnasium and each other place in a building where physical education classes are conducted the following notice:


Anabolic steroids are for medical use only. State law prohibits possessing, dispensing, delivering, or administering an anabolic steroid in any manner not allowed by state law. State law provides that body building, muscle enhancement, or the increase of muscle bulk or strength through the use of an anabolic steroid or human growth hormone by a person who is in good health is not a valid medical purpose. Only a medical doctor may prescribe an anabolic steroid or human growth hormone for a person. A violation of state law concerning anabolic steroids or human growth hormones is a criminal offense punishable by confinement in jail or imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.


Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.


Amended by:


Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 25.050, eff. September 1, 2009.


Sec. 38.009. ACCESS TO MEDICAL RECORDS. (a) A school administrator, nurse, or teacher is entitled to access to a student's medical records maintained by the school district for reasons determined by district policy.


(b) A school administrator, nurse, or teacher who views medical records under this section shall maintain the confidentiality of those medical records.


(c) This section does not authorize a school administrator, nurse, or teacher to require a student to be tested to determine the student's medical condition or status.


Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.


Sec. 38.0095. PARENTAL ACCESS TO MEDICAL RECORDS. (a) A parent or guardian of a student is entitled to access to the student's medical records maintained by a school district.


(b) On request of a student's parent or guardian, the school district shall provide a copy of the student's medical records to the parent or guardian. The district may not impose a charge for providing the copy that exceeds the charge authorized by Section 552.261, Government Code, for providing a copy of public information.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 3, eff. June 19, 1999.


Sec. 38.010. OUTSIDE COUNSELORS. (a) A school district or school district employee may not refer a student to an outside counselor for care or treatment of a chemical dependency or an emotional or psychological condition unless the district:


(1) obtains prior written consent for the referral from the student's parent;


(2) discloses to the student's parent any relationship between the district and the outside counselor;


(3) informs the student and the student's parent of any alternative public or private source of care or treatment reasonably available in the area;


(4) requires the approval of appropriate school district personnel before a student may be referred for care or treatment or before a referral is suggested as being warranted; and


(5) specifically prohibits any disclosure of a student record that violates state or federal law.


(b) In this section, "parent" includes a managing conservator or guardian.


Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.


Sec. 38.0101. AUTHORITY TO EMPLOY OR CONTRACT WITH NONPHYSICIAN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. (a) A school district may employ or contract with one or more nonphysician mental health professionals.


(b) In this section, "nonphysician mental health professional" means:


(1) a psychologist licensed to practice in this state and designated as a health-service provider;


(2) a registered nurse with a master's or doctoral degree in psychiatric nursing;


(3) a licensed clinical social worker;


(4) a professional counselor licensed to practice in this state; or


(5) a marriage and family therapist licensed to practice in this state.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 1.12, eff. December 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.011. DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS. (a) A school district employee may not:


(1) knowingly sell, market, or distribute a dietary supplement that contains performance enhancing compounds to a primary or secondary education student with whom the employee has contact as part of the employee's school district duties; or


(2) knowingly endorse or suggest the ingestion, intranasal application, or inhalation of a dietary supplement that contains performance enhancing compounds by a primary or secondary education student with whom the employee has contact as part of the employee's school district duties.


(b) This section does not prohibit a school district employee from:


(1) providing or endorsing a dietary supplement that contains performance enhancing compounds to, or suggesting the ingestion, intranasal application, or inhalation of a dietary supplement that contains performance enhancing compounds by, the employee's child; or


(2) selling, marketing, or distributing a dietary supplement that contains performance enhancing compounds to, or endorsing or suggesting the ingestion, intranasal application, or inhalation of a dietary supplement that contains performance enhancing compounds by, a primary or secondary education student as part of activities that:


(A) do not occur on school property or at a school-related function;


(B) are entirely separate from any aspect of the employee's employment with the school district; and


(C) do not in any way involve information about or contacts with students that the employee has had access to, directly or indirectly, through any aspect of the employee's employment with the school district.


(c) A person who violates this section commits an offense. An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.


(d) In this section:


(1) "Dietary supplement" has the meaning assigned by 21 U.S.C. Section 321 and its subsequent amendments.


(2) "Performance enhancing compound" means a manufactured product for oral ingestion, intranasal application, or inhalation that:


(A) contains a stimulant, amino acid, hormone precursor, herb or other botanical, or any other substance other than an essential vitamin or mineral; and


(B) is intended to increase athletic or intellectual performance, promote muscle growth, or increase an individual's endurance or capacity for exercise.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1086, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.


Sec. 38.012. NOTICE CONCERNING HEALTH CARE SERVICES. (a) Before a school district or school may expand or change the health care services available at a school in the district from those that were available on January 1, 1999, the board of trustees must:


(1) hold a public hearing at which the board discloses all information on the proposed health care services, including:


(A) all health care services to be provided;


(B) whether federal law permits or requires any health care service provided to be kept confidential from parents;


(C) whether a child's medical records will be accessible to the child's parent;


(D) information concerning grant funds to be used;


(E) the titles of persons who will have access to the medical records of a student; and


(F) the security measures that will be used to protect the privacy of students' medical records; and


(2) approve the expansion or change by a record vote.


(b) A hearing under Subsection (a) must include an opportunity for public comment on the proposal.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 1999.


Sec. 38.013. COORDINATED HEALTH PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. (a) The agency shall make available to each school district one or more coordinated health programs in elementary school, middle school, and junior high school. Each program must provide for coordinating education and services related to:


(1) physical health education, including programs designed to prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease, oral diseases, and Type 2 diabetes and programs designed to promote the role of proper nutrition;


(2) mental health education, including education about mental health conditions, mental health well-being, skills to manage emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and responsible decision-making;


(3) substance abuse education, including education about alcohol abuse, prescription drug abuse, and abuse of other controlled substances;


(4) physical education and physical activity; and


(5) parental involvement.


(a-1) The commissioner by rule shall adopt criteria for evaluating a coordinated health program before making the program available under Subsection (a). Before adopting the criteria, the commissioner shall request review and comment concerning the criteria from the Department of State Health Services School Health Advisory Committee. The commissioner may make available under Subsection (a) only those programs that meet criteria adopted under this subsection.


(b) The agency shall notify each school district of the availability of the programs.


(c) The commissioner by rule shall adopt criteria for evaluating the nutritional services component of a program under this section that includes an evaluation of program compliance with the Department of Agriculture guidelines relating to foods of minimal nutritional value.


Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 907, Sec. 3, eff. June 14, 2001. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 944, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.


Amended by:


Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 784 (S.B. 42), Sec. 3, eff. June 17, 2005.


Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 784 (S.B. 42), Sec. 4, eff. June 17, 2005.


Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1399 (H.B. 2483), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2013.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 1.13, eff. December 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.014. IMPLEMENTATION OF COORDINATED HEALTH PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. (a) Each school district shall:


(1) participate in appropriate training for the implementation of the program approved by the agency under Section 38.013; and


(2) implement the program in each elementary school, middle school, and junior high school in the district.


(b) The agency, in cooperation with the Texas Department of Health, shall adopt a schedule for regional education service centers to provide necessary training under this section.


Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 907, Sec. 3, eff. June 14, 2001.


Amended by:


Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 784 (S.B. 42), Sec. 5, eff. June 17, 2005.


Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 784 (S.B. 42), Sec. 6, eff. June 17, 2005.


Sec. 38.0141. REPORTING OF CERTAIN HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION REQUIRED. (a) Each school district shall provide to the agency information as required by the commissioner, including statistics and data, relating to student health and physical activity and information described by Sections 28.004(k)(2), (3), and (4) presented in a form determined by the commissioner. The district shall provide the information required by this subsection for the district and for each campus in the district.


(b) Not later than one year after the agency receives the information required by Subsection (a), the commissioner shall complete a report on physical education provided by each school district and publish the report on the agency's Internet website.


(c) The report must include:


(1) the number of physical education classes offered at each campus in the district and detail the number of days, classes, and minutes offered each week by each campus;


(2) the ratio of students enrolled in physical education classes in the district compared to the overall enrollment;


(3) the average physical education class size at each campus in the district;


(4) the number of physical education teachers in the district who are licensed, certified, or endorsed by an accredited teacher preparation program to teach physical education;


(5) whether each campus in the district has the appropriate equipment and adequate facilities for students to engage in the amount and intensity of physical activity required under Section 28.002;


(6) whether the district allows modifications or accommodations that allow physical education courses to meet the needs of students with disabilities; and


(7) whether the district has a policy that allows teachers or administrators in the district to withhold physical activity from a student as punishment.


Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 784 (S.B. 42), Sec. 7, eff. June 17, 2005.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1126 (S.B. 1873), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2017.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 3.02, eff. December 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.015. SELF-ADMINISTRATION OF PRESCRIPTION ASTHMA OR ANAPHYLAXIS MEDICINE BY STUDENTS. (a) In this section:


(1) "Parent" includes a person standing in parental relation.


(2) "Self-administration of prescription asthma or anaphylaxis medicine" means a student's discretionary use of prescription asthma or anaphylaxis medicine.


(b) A student with asthma or anaphylaxis is entitled to possess and self-administer prescription asthma or anaphylaxis medicine while on school property or at a school-related event or activity if:


(1) the prescription medicine has been prescribed for that student as indicated by the prescription label on the medicine;


(2) the student has demonstrated to the student's physician or other licensed health care provider and the school nurse, if available, the skill level necessary to self-administer the prescription medication, including the use of any device required to administer the medication;


(3) the self-administration is done in compliance with the prescription or written instructions from the student's physician or other licensed health care provider; and


(4) a parent of the student provides to the school:


(A) a written authorization, signed by the parent, for the student to self-administer the prescription medicine while on school property or at a school-related event or activity; and


(B) a written statement from the student's physician or other licensed health care provider, signed by the physician or provider, that states:


(i) that the student has asthma or anaphylaxis and is capable of self-administering the prescription medicine;


(ii) the name and purpose of the medicine;


(iii) the prescribed dosage for the medicine;


(iv) the times at which or circumstances under which the medicine may be administered; and


(v) the period for which the medicine is prescribed.


(c) The physician's statement must be kept on file in the office of the school nurse of the school the student attends or, if there is not a school nurse, in the office of the principal of the school the student attends.


(d) This section does not:


(1) waive any liability or immunity of a governmental unit or its officers or employees; or


(2) create any liability for or a cause of action against a governmental unit or its officers or employees.


(e) The commissioner may adopt rules and prescribe forms to assist in the implementation of this section.


Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 511, Sec. 1, eff. June 11, 2001. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.013 by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1275, Sec. 2(19), eff. Sept. 1, 2003.


Amended by:


Acts 2006, 79th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 5 (H.B. 1), Sec. 10.01, eff. May 31, 2006.


Acts 2006, 79th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 5 (H.B. 1), Sec. 10.02, eff. May 31, 2006.


Sec. 38.0151. POLICIES FOR CARE OF CERTAIN STUDENTS AT RISK FOR ANAPHYLAXIS. (a) The board of trustees of each school district and the governing body or an appropriate officer of each open-enrollment charter school shall adopt and administer a policy for the care of students with a diagnosed food allergy at risk for anaphylaxis based on "Guidelines for the Care of Students With Food Allergies At-Risk for Anaphylaxis" developed by the commissioner of state health services under this section and updated by the commissioner of state health services in consultation with an ad hoc committee appointed by the commissioner of state health services as provided by Section 38.0152. The guidelines and any recommendation to update the guidelines regarding medical treatment or therapy must be scientifically valid.


(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school shall annually review and, as necessary, revise its policy for the care of students with a diagnosed food allergy at risk for anaphylaxis to ensure the policy is consistent with the most current version of the guidelines described by Subsection (a).


(c) The guidelines described by Subsection (a) may not:


(1) require a school district or open-enrollment charter school to purchase prescription anaphylaxis medication, such as epinephrine, or require any other expenditure that would result in a negative fiscal impact on the district or charter school; or


(2) require the personnel of a district or charter school to administer anaphylaxis medication, such as epinephrine, to a student unless the anaphylaxis medication is prescribed for that student.


(d) This section does not:


(1) waive any liability or immunity of a governmental entity or its officers or employees; or


(2) create any liability for or a cause of action against a governmental entity or its officers or employees.


(e) The agency shall post the guidelines described by Subsection (a) on the agency's website with any other information relating to students with special health needs. The information posted by the agency must include a summary of the guidelines. The agency shall annually review and, as necessary, revise the summary and any other information to reflect the most current version of the guidelines.


(f) A school district or open-enrollment charter school that provides for the maintenance, administration, and disposal of epinephrine auto-injectors under Subchapter E is not required to comply with this section.


(g) Each school year, the board of trustees of each school district and the governing body of each open-enrollment charter school shall post a summary of the guidelines on the district's or school's Internet website, including instructions on obtaining access to the complete guidelines document. The district's or school's website must be accessible by each student enrolled in the district or school and a parent or guardian of each student. Any forms used by a district or school requesting information from a parent or guardian enrolling a child with a food allergy in the district or school must include information to access on the district's or school's Internet website a summary of the guidelines and instructions on obtaining access to the complete guidelines document.


(h) The guidelines described by Subsection (a) may not:


(1) require a school district or open-enrollment charter school to purchase treatments approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration or make any other expenditure that would result in a negative fiscal impact on the district or school; or


(2) require the personnel of a district or school to administer treatments approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to a student unless the medication is prescribed for that student by the student's physician.


(i) This section does not:


(1) waive any liability or immunity of a school district or open-enrollment charter school or district or school officers or employees; or


(2) create any liability for or a cause of action against a school district or open-enrollment charter school or district or school officers or employees.


(j) Notwithstanding any other law, this section, including any information or materials developed under this section and the dissemination of information or materials developed under this section, does not create a civil, criminal, or administrative cause of action or liability or create a standard of care, obligation, or duty that provides the basis for a cause of action.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 590 (S.B. 27), Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2011.


Amended by:


Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 3, eff. May 28, 2015.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 975 (S.B. 869), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.0152. COMMITTEE TO ASSIST IN UPDATING GUIDELINES FOR CARE OF STUDENTS AT RISK FOR ANAPHYLAXIS. (a) In this section:


(1) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of state health services.


(2) "Department" means the Department of State Health Services.


(3) "Guidelines" means "Guidelines for the Care of Students With Food Allergies At-Risk for Anaphylaxis" on which school district and open-enrollment charter school policies for the care of students with a diagnosed food allergy at risk for anaphylaxis are based as provided by Section 38.0151.


(b) The commissioner shall appoint members to an ad hoc committee to consult with the commissioner on updating the current guidelines to incorporate and specifically reference any new food-allergy management best practices and treatments, including new methods, treatments, and therapies to reduce the risk of allergic reactions.


(c) The committee must include:


(1) not more than one representative from:


(A) the department; and


(B) the Texas Nurses Association;


(2) at least two individuals from one or more national patient advocacy organizations representing the interests of food allergies, anaphylaxis, and related medical issues, including asthma;


(3) one principal of a public elementary school campus at which one or more students with a diagnosed food allergy at risk for anaphylaxis are enrolled;


(4) one classroom teacher employed at a public elementary school campus at which one or more students with a diagnosed food allergy at risk for anaphylaxis are enrolled;


(5) one superintendent of a school district;


(6) one member of a board of trustees of a school district;


(7) one member of a governing body of an open-enrollment charter school;


(8) at least two parents of public school students with a diagnosed food allergy at risk for anaphylaxis;


(9) at least four physicians board certified in allergy and immunology by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology; and


(10) at least one physician board certified in general pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics who is a member of a statewide pediatric organization.


(d) Ad hoc committee members shall serve for a period determined by the commissioner. On the resignation of a member of the committee or the removal of a member from the committee by the commissioner, the commissioner shall appoint a new member to the committee who qualifies for the committee in the same manner that the member who resigned or is removed qualified.


(e) Section 2110.005, Government Code, does not apply to the ad hoc committee appointed under this section.


(f) Any recommendations on updating the current guidelines regarding medical treatment or therapies must be submitted by the physicians directly to the commissioner, provided that those recommendations may only be submitted to the commissioner if approved by a majority of the physicians serving on the committee.


(g) At least once every three years, the commissioner shall order a meeting of the committee to update the guidelines to incorporate any new food-allergy management best practices and treatments.


(h) The commissioner may order a meeting of the committee at any time the commissioner determines necessary for the committee to:


(1) discuss the protection of students with food allergies at risk for anaphylaxis; and


(2) update the guidelines.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 975 (S.B. 869), Sec. 2, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.016. PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS AND PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATIONS OR EXAMINATIONS. (a) In this section:


(1) "Nonphysician mental health professional" has the meaning assigned by Section 38.0101.


(2) "Parent" includes a guardian or other person standing in parental relation.


(3) "Psychotropic drug" means a substance that is:


(A) used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a disease or as a component of a medication; and


(B) intended to have an altering effect on perception, emotion, or behavior.


(b) A school district employee may not:


(1) recommend that a student use a psychotropic drug; or


(2) suggest any particular diagnosis; or


(3) use the refusal by a parent to consent to administration of a psychotropic drug to a student or to a psychiatric evaluation or examination of a student as grounds, by itself, for prohibiting the child from attending a class or participating in a school-related activity.


(c) Subsection (b) does not:


(1) prevent an appropriate referral under the child find system required under 20 U.S.C. Section 1412, as amended;


(2) prohibit a school district employee, or an employee of an entity with which the district contracts, who is a registered nurse, advanced nurse practitioner, physician, or nonphysician mental health professional licensed or certified to practice in this state from recommending that a child be evaluated by a physician or nonphysician mental health professional; or


(3) prohibit a school employee from discussing any aspect of a child's behavior or academic progress with the child's parent or another school district employee.


(d) The board of trustees of each school district shall adopt a policy to ensure implementation and enforcement of this section.


(e) An act in violation of Subsection (b) does not override the immunity from personal liability granted in Section 22.0511 or other law or the district's sovereign and governmental immunity.


Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1058, Sec. 1, eff. June 20, 2003.


Amended by:


Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 921 (H.B. 3167), Sec. 4.008, eff. September 1, 2007.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 1.14, eff. December 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.017. AVAILABILITY OF AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR. (a) Each school district shall make available at each campus in the district at least one automated external defibrillator, as defined by Section 779.001, Health and Safety Code. A campus defibrillator must be readily available during any University Interscholastic League athletic competition held on the campus. In determining the location at which to store a campus defibrillator, the principal of the campus shall consider the primary location on campus where students engage in athletic activities.


(b) To the extent practicable, each school district, in cooperation with the University Interscholastic League, shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that an automated external defibrillator is available at each University Interscholastic League athletic practice held at a district campus. If a school district is not able to make an automated external defibrillator available in the manner provided by this subsection, the district shall determine the extent to which an automated external defibrillator must be available at each University Interscholastic League athletic practice held at a district campus. The determination must be based, in addition to any other appropriate considerations, on relevant medical information.


(c) Each school district, in cooperation with the University Interscholastic League, shall determine the extent to which an automated external defibrillator must be available at each University Interscholastic League athletic competition held at a location other than a district campus. The determination must be based, in addition to any other appropriate considerations, on relevant medical information and whether emergency services personnel are present at the athletic competition under a contract with the school district.


(d) Each school district shall ensure the presence at each location at which an automated external defibrillator is required under Subsection (a), (b), or (c) of at least one campus or district employee trained in the proper use of the defibrillator at any time a substantial number of district students are present at the location.


(e) A school district shall ensure that an automated external defibrillator is used and maintained in accordance with standards established under Chapter 779, Health and Safety Code.


(f) This section does not:


(1) waive any immunity from liability of a school district or its officers or employees;


(2) create any liability for or a cause of action against a school district or its officers or employees; or


(3) waive any immunity from liability under Section 74.151, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.


(g) This subsection applies only to a private school that receives an automated external defibrillator from the agency or receives funding from the agency to purchase or lease an automated external defibrillator. A private school shall:


(1) make available at the school at least one automated external defibrillator; and


(2) in coordination with the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, adopt a policy concerning the availability of an automated external defibrillator at athletic competitions and practices in a manner consistent with the requirements prescribed by this section, including the training and maintenance requirements prescribed by this section.


(h) A school district may seek and accept gifts, grants, or other donations to pay the district's cost of purchasing automated external defibrillators required under this section.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1371 (S.B. 7), Sec. 6, eff. June 15, 2007.


Sec. 38.018. PROCEDURES REGARDING RESPONSE TO CARDIAC ARREST. (a) Each school district and private school shall develop safety procedures for a district or school employee or student to follow in responding to a medical emergency involving cardiac arrest, including the appropriate response time in administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, using an automated external defibrillator, as defined by Section 779.001, Health and Safety Code, or calling a local emergency medical services provider.


(b) A private school is required to develop safety procedures under this section only if the school receives an automated external defibrillator from the agency or receives funding from the agency to purchase or lease an automated external defibrillator.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1371 (S.B. 7), Sec. 6, eff. June 15, 2007.


Sec. 38.0181. CARDIOVASCULAR SCREENING PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "pilot program" means the cardiovascular screening pilot program.


(b) The commissioner shall establish a pilot program under which sixth grade students at participating campuses are administered a cardiovascular screening, including an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram.


(c) The commissioner shall select campuses to participate in the pilot program. In selecting campuses, the commissioner shall ensure that the cardiovascular screening is administered to an ethnically diverse range of students.


(d) The commissioner may accept grants and donations for use in administering the pilot program.


(e) The commissioner shall require a participating campus to provide the results of a student's cardiovascular screening to the student's parent or guardian.


(f) Expired.


(g) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to administer this section.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1371 (S.B. 7), Sec. 6, eff. June 15, 2007.


Renumbered from Education Code, Section 38.019 by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 27.001(6), eff. September 1, 2009.


Sec. 38.019. IMMUNIZATION AWARENESS PROGRAM. (a) A school district that maintains an Internet website shall post prominently on the website:


(1) a list, in English and Spanish, of:


(A) the immunizations required for admission to public school by rules of the Department of State Health Services adopted under Section 38.001;


(B) any immunizations or vaccines recommended for public school students by the Department of State Health Services; and


(C) health clinics in the district that offer the influenza vaccine, to the extent those clinics are known to the district; and


(2) a link to the Department of State Health Services Internet website where a person may obtain information relating to the procedures for claiming an exemption from the immunization requirements of Section 38.001.


(a-1) The link to the Department of State Health Services Internet website provided under Subsection (a)(2) must be presented in the same manner as the information provided under Subsection (a)(1).


(b) The list of recommended immunizations or vaccines under Subsection (a)(2) must include the influenza vaccine, unless the Department of State Health Services requires the influenza vaccine for admission to public school.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 94 (H.B. 1059), Sec. 3, eff. May 15, 2007.


Sec. 38.021. USE OF SUNSCREEN PRODUCTS. (a) A student may possess and use a topical sunscreen product while on school property or at a school-related event or activity to avoid overexposure to the sun and not for the medical treatment of an injury or illness if the product is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for over-the-counter use.


(b) This section does not:


(1) waive any immunity from liability of a school district, its board of trustees, or its employees; or


(2) create any liability for or a cause of action against a school district, its board of trustees, or its employees.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1139 (S.B. 265), Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2015.


Sec. 38.022. SCHOOL VISITORS. (a) A school district may require a person who enters a district campus to display the person's driver's license or another form of identification containing the person's photograph issued by a governmental entity.


(b) A school district may establish an electronic database for the purpose of storing information concerning visitors to district campuses. Information stored in the electronic database may be used only for the purpose of school district security and may not be sold or otherwise disseminated to a third party for any purpose.


(c) A school district may verify whether a visitor to a district campus is a sex offender registered with the computerized central database maintained by the Department of Public Safety as provided by Article 62.005, Code of Criminal Procedure, or any other database accessible by the district.


(d) The board of trustees of a school district shall adopt a policy regarding the action to be taken by the administration of a school campus when a visitor is identified as a sex offender.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1372 (S.B. 9), Sec. 12, eff. June 15, 2007.


Sec. 38.023. LIST OF RESOURCES CONCERNING INTERNET SAFETY. The agency shall develop and make available to school districts a list of resources concerning Internet safety, including a list of organizations and Internet websites that may assist in educating teachers and students about:


(1) the potential dangers of allowing personal information to appear on an Internet website;


(2) the significance of copyright laws; and


(3) the consequences of cyber-plagiarism and theft of audiovisual works, including motion pictures, software, and sound recordings, through uploading and downloading files on the Internet.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 751 (H.B. 3171), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2007.


Sec. 38.024. INSURANCE AGAINST STUDENT INJURIES. (a) In compliance with this section, the board of trustees of a school district may obtain insurance against bodily injuries sustained by students while training for or engaging in interschool athletic competition or while engaging in school-sponsored activities.


(b) The amount of insurance to be obtained must be in keeping with the financial condition of the school district and may not exceed the amount that, in the opinion of the board of trustees, is reasonably necessary to afford adequate medical treatment of injured students.


(c) The insurance authorized by this section must be obtained from a reliable insurance company authorized to do business in this state and must be on forms approved by the commissioner of insurance.


(d) The cost of the insurance is a legitimate part of the total cost of operating the school district.


(e) The failure of any board of trustees to carry the insurance authorized by this section may not be construed as placing any legal liability on the school district or its officers, agents, or employees for any injury that results.


Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 534, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Transferred from Education Code, Section 33.085 by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 7.004(a), eff. September 1, 2009.


Amended by:


Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 7.004(b), eff. September 1, 2009.


Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 92 (H.B. 744), Sec. 1, eff. May 23, 2015.


Sec. 38.026. GRANT PROGRAM FOR BEST PRACTICES IN NUTRITION EDUCATION. (a) The Department of Agriculture shall develop a program under which the department awards grants to public school campuses for best practices in nutrition education.


(b) The Department of Agriculture may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this section.


(c) The Department of Agriculture may adopt rules as necessary to administer a grant program established under this section.


Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 728 (S.B. 282), Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.


Sec. 38.027. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION POLICY. (a) In this section, "electronic communication" means any communication facilitated by the use of any electronic device, including a telephone, cellular telephone, computer, computer network, personal data assistant, or pager. The term includes e-mails, text messages, instant messages, and any communications made through an Internet website, including a social media website or a social networking website.


(b) A school district shall adopt a written policy concerning electronic communications between a school employee and a student enrolled in the district.


(c) The policy adopted under this section must:


(1) include provisions designed to prevent improper electronic communications between a school employee and a student;


(2) allow a school employee to elect to not disclose to students the employee's personal telephone number or e-mail address; and


(3) include provisions instructing a school employee about the proper method for notifying appropriate local administrators about an incident in which a student engages in improper communications with the school employee.


Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 178 (S.B. 7), Sec. 15, eff. September 1, 2017.


The following section was amended by the 87th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see S.B. 1267, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting the following section.



Sec. 38.030. TRAUMATIC INJURY RESPONSE PROTOCOL. (a) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall develop and annually make available a protocol for school employees and volunteers to follow in the event of a traumatic injury.


(b) The protocol required under this section must:


(1) provide for a school district or open-enrollment charter school to maintain and make available to school employees and volunteers bleeding control stations, as described by Subsection (d), for use in the event of a traumatic injury involving blood loss;


(2) ensure that bleeding control stations are stored in easily accessible areas of the campus that are selected by the district's school safety and security committee or the charter school's governing body;


(3) require that agency-approved training on the use of a bleeding control station in the event of an injury to another person be provided to:


(A) each school district peace officer commissioned under Section 37.081 or school security personnel employed under that section who provides security services at the campus;


(B) each school resource officer who provides law enforcement at the campus; and


(C) all other district or school personnel who may be reasonably expected to use a bleeding control station; and


(4) require the district or charter school to annually offer instruction on the use of a bleeding control station from a school resource officer or other appropriate district or school personnel who has received the training under Subdivision (3) to students enrolled at the campus in grade seven or higher.


(c) A district's school safety and security committee or the charter school's governing body may select, as easily accessible areas of the campus at which bleeding control stations may be stored, areas of the campus where automated external defibrillators are stored.


(d) A bleeding control station required under this section must contain all of the following required supplies in quantities determined appropriate by the superintendent of the district or the director of the school:


(1) tourniquets approved for use in battlefield trauma care by the armed forces of the United States;


(2) chest seals;


(3) compression bandages;


(4) bleeding control bandages;


(5) space emergency blankets;


(6) latex-free gloves;


(7) markers;


(8) scissors; and


(9) instructional documents developed by the American College of Surgeons or the United States Department of Homeland Security detailing methods to prevent blood loss following a traumatic event.


(e) In addition to the items listed under Subsection (d), a school district or open-enrollment charter school may also include in a bleeding control station any medical material or equipment that:


(1) may be readily stored in a bleeding control station;


(2) may be used to adequately treat an injury involving traumatic blood loss; and


(3) is approved by local law enforcement or emergency medical services personnel.


(f) To satisfy the training requirement of Subsection (b)(3), the agency may approve a course of instruction that has been developed or endorsed by:


(1) the American College of Surgeons or a similar organization; or


(2) the emergency medicine department of a health-related institution of higher education or a hospital.


(g) The course of instruction for training described under Subsection (f) may not be provided as an online course. The course of instruction must use nationally recognized, evidence-based guidelines for bleeding control and must incorporate instruction on the psychomotor skills necessary to use a bleeding control station in the event of an injury to another person, including instruction on proper chest seal placement.


(h) The course of instruction described under Subsection (f) may be provided by emergency medical technicians, paramedics, law enforcement officers, firefighters, representatives of the organization or institution that developed or endorsed the training, educators, other public school employees, or other similarly qualified individuals. A course of instruction described under Subsection (f) is not required to provide for certification in bleeding control. If the course of instruction does provide for certification in bleeding control, the instructor must be authorized to provide the instruction for the purpose of certification by the organization or institution that developed or endorsed the course of instruction.


(i) The good faith use of a bleeding control station by a school district or open-enrollment charter school employee to control the bleeding of an injured person is incident to or within the scope of the duties of the employee's position of employment and involves the exercise of judgment or discretion on the part of the employee for purposes of Section 22.0511, and a school district or open-enrollment charter school and the employees of the district or school are immune from civil liability, as provided by that section, from damages or injuries resulting from that good faith use of a bleeding control station. A school district or open-enrollment charter school volunteer is immune from civil liability from damages or injuries resulting from the good faith use of a bleeding control station to the same extent as a professional employee of the district or school, as provided by Section 22.053.


(j) Nothing in this section limits the immunity from liability of a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or district or school employee or volunteer under:


(1) Sections 22.0511 and 22.053;


(2) Section 101.051, Civil Practice and Remedies Code; or


(3) any other applicable law.


(k) This section does not create a cause of action against a school district or open-enrollment charter school or the employees or volunteers of the district or school.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1357 (H.B. 496), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2019.


Sec. 38.031. NOTICE OF LICE. (a) The board of trustees of an independent school district shall adopt a policy requiring a school nurse of a public elementary school who determines or otherwise becomes aware that a child enrolled in the school has lice shall provide written or electronic notice of that fact to:


(1) the parent of the child with lice as soon as practicable but not later than 48 hours after the administrator or nurse, as applicable, determines or becomes aware of that fact; and


(2) the parent of each child assigned to the same classroom as the child with lice not later than the fifth school day after the date on which the administrator or nurse, as applicable, determines or becomes aware of that fact.


(b) The notice provided under Subsection (a):


(1) must include the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the treatment and prevention of lice; and


(2) if the notice is provided under Subsection (a)(2), may not identify the child with lice.


(c) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this section in a manner that complies with federal law regarding confidentiality of student medical or educational information, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g), and any state law relating to the privacy of student information.


Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 925 (S.B. 1566), Sec. 14, eff. September 1, 2017.


Sec. 38.032. SEIZURE MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT PLAN. (a) The parent or guardian of a student with a seizure disorder may seek care for the student's seizures while the student is at school or participating in a school activity by submitting to the school district at which the student is enrolled a copy of a seizure management and treatment plan developed by the student's parent or guardian and the physician responsible for the student's seizure treatment. The plan must be submitted to and reviewed by the district:


(1) before or at the beginning of the school year;


(2) on enrollment of the student, if the student enrolls in the district after the beginning of the school year; or


(3) as soon as practicable following a diagnosis of a seizure disorder for the student.


(b) A seizure management and treatment plan must:


(1) identify the health care services the student may receive at school or while participating in a school activity;


(2) evaluate the student's ability to manage and level of understanding of the student's seizures; and


(3) be signed by the student's parent or guardian and the physician responsible for the student's seizure treatment.


(c) The care of a student with a seizure disorder by a district employee under a seizure management plan submitted under this section is incident to or within the scope of the duties of the employee's position of employment and involves the exercise of judgment or discretion on the part of the employee for purposes of Section 22.0511.


(d) The immunity from liability provided by Section 22.0511 applies to an action or failure to act by a district employee in administering a medication, assisting with self-administration, or otherwise providing for the care of a student under a seizure management plan submitted for the student under Subsection (a).


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1039 (H.B. 684), Sec. 2, eff. June 14, 2019.


The following section was amended by the 87th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see H.B. 3607, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting the following section.



Text of section as added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1039 (H.B. 684), Sec. 2



For text of section as added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1042 (H.B. 706), Sec. 1, see other Sec. 38.033.



Sec. 38.033. SEIZURE RECOGNITION AND RELATED FIRST AID TRAINING. (a) A school nurse employed by a school district must complete an agency-approved online course of instruction for school nurses regarding managing students with seizure disorders that includes information about seizure recognition and related first aid.


(b) A school district employee, other than a school nurse, whose duties at the school include regular contact with students must complete an agency-approved online course of instruction for school personnel regarding awareness of students with seizure disorders that includes information about seizure recognition and related first aid.


(c) The agency may approve an online course of instruction provided by a nonprofit national foundation that supports the welfare of individuals with epilepsy and seizure disorders to satisfy the training required under Subsection (a) or (b). An online course of instruction approved by the agency under this subsection that is provided to a school district must be provided by the nonprofit entity free of charge.


(d) The agency shall adopt rules as necessary to administer this section.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1039 (H.B. 684), Sec. 2, eff. June 14, 2019.


The following section was amended by the 87th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see H.B. 3607, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting the following section.



Text of section as added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1042 (H.B. 706), Sec. 1



For text of section as added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1039 (H.B. 684), Sec. 2, see other Sec. 38.033.



Sec. 38.033. SCHOOL HEALTH AND RELATED SERVICES PROGRAM; ELIGIBILITY FOR AUDIOLOGY SERVICES. (a) A child is eligible to receive audiology services provided under the school health and related services program if the child:


(1) is 20 years of age or younger;


(2) has a disability or chronic medical condition;


(3) is eligible for Medicaid benefits; and


(4) has been prescribed the services under:


(A) an individualized education program created under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400 et seq.); or


(B) a plan created under Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794).


(b) The Health and Human Services Commission shall provide reimbursement to a provider under the school health and related services program for audiology services provided to a child who is eligible for the services under Subsection (a).


(c) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission, in consultation with the agency, shall adopt rules necessary to implement this section.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1042 (H.B. 706), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.


The following section was amended by the 87th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see S.B. 1267 and H.B. 3607, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting the following section.



Sec. 38.036. TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE POLICY. (a) Each school district shall adopt and implement a policy requiring the integration of trauma-informed practices in each school environment. A district must include the policy in the district improvement plan required under Section 11.252.


(b) A policy required by this section must address:


(1) using resources developed by the agency, methods for:


(A) increasing staff and parent awareness of trauma-informed care; and


(B) implementation of trauma-informed practices and care by district and campus staff; and


(2) available counseling options for students affected by trauma or grief.


(c) The methods under Subsection (b)(1) for increasing awareness and implementation of trauma-informed care must include training as provided by this subsection. The training must be provided:


(1) through a program selected from the list of recommended best practice-based programs and research-based practices established under Section 161.325, Health and Safety Code;


(2) as part of any new employee orientation for all new school district educators; and


(3) to existing school district educators on a schedule adopted by the agency by rule that requires educators to be trained at intervals necessary to keep educators informed of developments in the field.


(d) For any training under Subsection (c), each school district shall maintain records that include the name of each district staff member who participated in the training.


(e) Each school district shall report annually to the agency the following information for the district as a whole and for each school campus:


(1) the number of teachers, principals, and counselors employed by the district who have completed training under this section; and


(2) the total number of teachers, principals, and counselors employed by the district.


(f) If a school district determines that the district does not have sufficient resources to provide the training required under Subsection (c), the district may partner with a community mental health organization to provide training that meets the requirements of Subsection (c) at no cost to the district.


(g) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to administer this section.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 464 (S.B. 11), Sec. 18, eff. June 6, 2019.


SUBCHAPTER B. SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS



Sec. 38.051. ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS. (a) A school district in this state may, if the district identifies the need, design a model in accordance with this subchapter for the delivery of cooperative health care programs for students and their families and may compete for grants awarded under this subchapter. The model may provide for the delivery of conventional health services and disease prevention of emerging health threats that are specific to the district.


(b) On the recommendation of an advisory council established under Section 38.058 or on the initiative of the board of trustees or the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school, a school district or open-enrollment charter school may establish a school-based health center at one or more campuses to meet the health care needs of students and their families.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Amended by:


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 1.15, eff. December 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.052. CONTRACT FOR SERVICES. A district may contract with a person to provide services at a school-based health center.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Sec. 38.053. PARENTAL CONSENT REQUIRED. (a) A school-based health center may provide services to a student only if the district or the provider with whom the district contracts obtains the written consent of the student's parent or guardian or another person having legal control of the student on a consent form developed by the district or provider. The student's parent or guardian or another person having legal control of the student may give consent for a student to receive ongoing services or may limit consent to one or more services provided on a single occasion.


(b) The consent form must list every service the school-based health center delivers in a format that complies with all applicable state and federal laws and allows a person to consent to one or more categories of services.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Sec. 38.054. CATEGORIES OF SERVICES. The permissible categories of services are:


(1) family and home support;


(2) physical health care, including immunizations;


(3) dental health care;


(4) health education;


(5) preventive health strategies;


(6) treatment for mental health conditions; and


(7) treatment for substance abuse.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Amended by:


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 1.16, eff. December 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.055. USE OF GRANT FUNDS FOR REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES PROHIBITED. Reproductive services, counseling, or referrals may not be provided through a school-based health center using grant funds awarded under this subchapter.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Sec. 38.056. PROVISION OF CERTAIN SERVICES BY LICENSED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER REQUIRED. Any service provided using grant funds awarded under this subchapter must be provided by an appropriate professional who is properly licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized under state law to provide the service.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Sec. 38.057. IDENTIFICATION OF HEALTH-RELATED CONCERNS. (a) The staff of a school-based health center and the person whose consent is obtained under Section 38.053 shall jointly identify any health-related concerns of a student that may be interfering with the student's well-being or ability to succeed in school.


(b) If it is determined that a student is in need of a referral for physical health services or mental health services, the staff of the center shall notify the person whose consent is required under Section 38.053 verbally and in writing of the basis for the referral. The referral may not be provided unless the person provides written consent for the type of service to be provided and provides specific written consent for each treatment occasion or for a course of treatment that includes multiple treatment occasions of the same type of service.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Amended by:


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 1.17, eff. December 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.058. HEALTH EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE ADVISORY COUNCIL. (a) The board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school may establish and appoint members to a local health education and health care advisory council to make recommendations to the district or school on the establishment of school-based health centers and to assist the district or school in ensuring that local community values are reflected in the operation of each center and in the provision of health education.


(b) A majority of the members of the council must be parents of students enrolled in the school district or open-enrollment charter school. In addition to the appointees who are parents of students, the board of trustees or governing body shall also appoint at least one person from each of the following groups:


(1) classroom teachers;


(2) school administrators;


(3) school counselors;


(4) health care professionals licensed or certified to practice in this state;


(5) the clergy;


(6) law enforcement;


(7) the business community;


(8) senior citizens; and


(9) students.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Amended by:


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 1.18, eff. December 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.059. ASSISTANCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY. (a) A school district may seek assistance in establishing and operating a school-based health center from any public health agency in the community. On request, a public health agency shall cooperate with a district and to the extent practicable, considering the resources of the agency, may provide assistance.


(b) A district and a public health agency may, by agreement, jointly establish, operate, and fund a school-based health center.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Sec. 38.0591. ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. The agency, in cooperation with the Health and Human Services Commission, shall develop guidelines for school districts regarding:


(1) partnering with a local mental health authority and with community or other private mental health services providers and substance abuse services providers to increase student access to mental health services; and


(2) obtaining mental health services through the medical assistance program under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 1.19, eff. December 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.060. COORDINATION WITH EXISTING PROVIDERS IN CERTAIN AREAS. (a) This section applies only to a school-based health center serving an area that:


(1) is located in a county with a population not greater than 50,000; or


(2) has been designated under state or federal law as:


(A) a health professional shortage area;


(B) a medically underserved area; or


(C) a medically underserved community by the Texas Department of Rural Affairs.


(b) If a school-based health center is located in an area described by Subsection (a), the school district and the advisory council established under Section 38.058 shall make a good faith effort to identify and coordinate with existing providers to preserve and protect existing health care systems and medical relationships in the area.


(c) The school district or open-enrollment charter school shall keep a record of efforts made to coordinate with existing providers.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 609, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, Sec. 9.006(f), eff. Sept. 1, 2003.


Amended by:


Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 112 (H.B. 1918), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2009.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 1.20, eff. December 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.061. COMMUNICATION WITH PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN. (a) If a person receiving a medical service from a school-based health center has a primary care physician, the staff of the center shall provide notice of the service the person received to the primary care physician in order to allow the physician to maintain a complete medical history of the person.


(b) The staff of a school-based health center shall, before delivering a medical service to a person with a primary care physician under the state Medicaid program, a state children's health plan program, or a private health insurance or health benefit plan, notify the physician for the purpose of sharing medical information and obtaining authorization for delivering the medical service.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Sec. 38.062. FUNDING FOR PROVISION OF SERVICES. A school district or the provider with whom the district contracts shall seek all available sources of funding to compensate the district or provider for services provided by a school-based health center, including money available under the state Medicaid program, a state children's health plan program, or private health insurance or health benefit plans or available from those persons using a school-based health center who have the ability to pay for the services.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Sec. 38.063. GRANTS. (a) Subject to the availability of federal or state appropriated funds, the commissioner of state health services shall administer a program under which grants are awarded to assist school districts and local health departments, hospitals, health care systems, universities, or nonprofit organizations that contract with school districts with the costs of school-based health centers in accordance with this section.


(b) The commissioner of state health services, by rules adopted in accordance with this section, shall establish procedures for awarding grants. The rules must provide that:


(1) grants are awarded annually through a competitive process to:


(A) school districts; and


(B) local health departments, hospitals, health care systems, universities, or nonprofit organizations that have contracted with school districts to establish and operate school-based health centers;


(2) subject to the availability of federal or state appropriated funds, each grant is for a term of five years; and


(3) a preference is given to school-based health centers in school districts that are located in rural areas or that have low property wealth per student.


(c) All health care programs should be designed to meet the following goals:


(1) reducing student absenteeism;


(2) increasing a student's ability to meet the student's academic potential; and


(3) stabilizing the physical well-being of a student.


(d) A school district, local health department, hospital, health care system, university, or nonprofit organization may not receive more than $250,000 per state fiscal biennium through grants awarded under this section.


(e) To be eligible to receive a grant, a school district, local health department, hospital, health care system, university, or nonprofit organization must provide matching funds in accordance with rules adopted under Subsection (b). The matching funds may be obtained from any source available to the district, local health department, hospital, health care system, university, or nonprofit organization, including in-kind contributions, community or foundation grants, individual contributions, and local governmental agency operating funds.


(e-1) A grant under this section may not be given to a nonprofit organization that offers reproductive services, contraceptive services, counseling, or referrals, or any other services that require a license under Chapter 245, Health and Safety Code, or that is affiliated with a nonprofit organization that is licensed under Chapter 245, Health and Safety Code.


(e-2) A school district, local health department, hospital, health care system, university, or nonprofit organization receiving a grant under this section may use the grant funds to:


(1) establish a new school-based health center;


(2) expand an existing school-based health center; or


(3) operate a school-based health center.


(f) The commissioner of state health services shall adopt rules establishing standards for health care centers funded through grants that place primary emphasis on delivery of health services and secondary emphasis on population-based models that prevent emerging health threats.


(g) The commissioner of state health services shall require client surveys to be conducted in school-based health centers funded through grants awarded under this section.


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Amended by:


Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 598 (H.B. 281), Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009.


The following section was amended by the 87th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see S.B. 970, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting the following section.



Sec. 38.064. REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. (a) Based on statistics obtained from every school-based health center in this state that receives funding through the Department of State Health Services, the Department of State Health Services shall issue a biennial report to the legislature about the relative efficacy of services delivered by the centers during the preceding two years and any increased academic success of students at campuses served by those centers, with special emphasis on any:


(1) increased attendance, including attendance information regarding students with chronic illnesses;


(2) decreased drop-out rates;


(3) improved student health;


(4) increased student immunization rates;


(5) increased student participation in preventive health measures, including routine physical examinations and checkups conducted in accordance with the Texas Health Steps program; and


(6) improved performance on student assessment instruments administered under Subchapter B, Chapter 39.


(b) The Department of State Health Services may modify any requirement imposed by Subsection (a) if necessary to comply with federal law regarding confidentiality of student medical or educational information, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g).


Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1418, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Renumbered from Education Code Sec. 38.011 and amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.005, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.


Amended by:


Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 598 (H.B. 281), Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.


SUBCHAPTER C. PHYSICAL FITNESS ASSESSMENT



Sec. 38.101. ASSESSMENT REQUIRED. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a school district annually shall assess the physical fitness of students enrolled in grade three or higher in a course that satisfies the curriculum requirements for physical education under Section 28.002(a)(2)(C).


(b) A school district is not required to assess a student for whom, as a result of disability or other condition identified by commissioner rule, the assessment instrument adopted under Section 38.102 is inappropriate.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1377 (S.B. 530), Sec. 3, eff. June 15, 2007.


Amended by:


Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 8 (S.B. 8), Sec. 17, eff. September 28, 2011.


Sec. 38.102. ADOPTION OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT. (a) The commissioner by rule shall adopt an assessment instrument to be used by a school district in assessing student physical fitness under this subchapter.


(b) The assessment instrument must:


(1) be based on factors related to student health, including the following factors that have been identified as essential to overall health and function:


(A) aerobic capacity;


(B) body composition; and


(C) muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility; and


(2) include criterion-referenced standards specific to a student's age and gender and based on the physical fitness level required for good health.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1377 (S.B. 530), Sec. 3, eff. June 15, 2007.


Sec. 38.103. REPORTING OF PHYSICAL FITNESS RESULTS. (a) A school district shall provide the results of individual student performance on the physical fitness assessment required by this subchapter to the agency. The results may not contain the names of individual students or teachers or a student's social security number or date of birth.


(b) The results of individual student performance on the physical fitness assessment instrument are confidential and may be released only in accordance with state and federal law.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1377 (S.B. 530), Sec. 3, eff. June 15, 2007.


Amended by:


Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 372 (S.B. 226), Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2011.


Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 372 (S.B. 226), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


Sec. 38.104. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS. (a) The agency shall analyze the results received by the agency under this subchapter and identify, for each school district, any correlation between the results and the following:


(1) student academic achievement levels;


(2) student attendance levels;


(3) student obesity;


(4) student disciplinary problems; and


(5) school meal programs.


(b) The agency may contract with a public or private entity for that entity to conduct all or part of the analysis required by Subsection (a).


(c) Not later than September 1 of each year, the agency shall report the findings of the analysis under this section of the results obtained during the preceding school year to the School Health Advisory Committee established under Section 1001.0711, Health and Safety Code, for use by the committee in:


(1) assessing the effectiveness of coordinated health programs provided by school districts in accordance with Section 38.014; and


(2) developing recommendations for modifications to coordinated health program requirements or related curriculum.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1377 (S.B. 530), Sec. 3, eff. June 15, 2007.


Sec. 38.105. DONATIONS. The agency and each school district may accept donations made to facilitate implementation of this subchapter.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1377 (S.B. 530), Sec. 3, eff. June 15, 2007.


Sec. 38.106. RULES. The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to implement this subchapter.


Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1377 (S.B. 530), Sec. 3, eff. June 15, 2007.


SUBCHAPTER D. PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND OVERSIGHT OF CONCUSSIONS AFFECTING STUDENT ATHLETES



Sec. 38.151. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:


(1) "Advanced practice nurse" has the meaning assigned by Section 301.152, Occupations Code.


(2) "Athletic trainer" has the meaning assigned by Section 451.001, Occupations Code.


(3) "Coach" includes an assistant coach.


(4) "Concussion" means a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain caused by a traumatic physical force or impact to the head or body, which may:


(A) include temporary or prolonged altered brain function resulting in physical, cognitive, or emotional symptoms or altered sleep patterns; and


(B) involve loss of consciousness.


(5) "Licensed health care professional" means an advanced practice nurse, athletic trainer, neuropsychologist, or physician assistant, as those terms are defined by this section.


(6) "Neuropsychologist" means a person who:


(A) holds a license to engage in the practice of psychology issued under Section 501.252, Occupations Code; and


(B) specializes in the practice of neuropsychology.


(7) "Open-enrollment charter school" includes a school granted a charter under Subchapter E, Chapter 12.


(8) "Physician" means a person who holds a license to practice medicine in this state.


(9) "Physician assistant" means a person who holds a license issued under Chapter 204, Occupations Code.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 781 (H.B. 2038), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


Sec. 38.152. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies to an interscholastic athletic activity, including practice and competition, sponsored or sanctioned by:


(1) a school district, including a home-rule school district, or a public school, including any school for which a charter has been granted under Chapter 12; or


(2) the University Interscholastic League.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 781 (H.B. 2038), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


Sec. 38.153. OVERSIGHT OF CONCUSSIONS BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS; RETURN-TO-PLAY PROTOCOL DEVELOPMENT BY CONCUSSION OVERSIGHT TEAM. (a) The governing body of each school district and open-enrollment charter school with students enrolled who participate in an interscholastic athletic activity shall appoint or approve a concussion oversight team.


(b) Each concussion oversight team shall establish a return-to-play protocol, based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence, for a student's return to interscholastic athletics practice or competition following the force or impact believed to have caused a concussion.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 781 (H.B. 2038), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


Sec. 38.154. CONCUSSION OVERSIGHT TEAM: MEMBERSHIP. (a) Each concussion oversight team must include at least one physician and, to the greatest extent practicable, considering factors including the population of the metropolitan statistical area in which the school district or open-enrollment charter school is located, district or charter school student enrollment, and the availability of and access to licensed health care professionals in the district or charter school area, must also include one or more of the following:


(1) an athletic trainer;


(2) an advanced practice nurse;


(3) a neuropsychologist; or


(4) a physician assistant.


(b) If a school district or open-enrollment charter school employs an athletic trainer, the athletic trainer must be a member of the district or charter school concussion oversight team.


(b-1) If a school district or open-enrollment charter school employs a school nurse, the school nurse may be a member of the district or charter school concussion oversight team if requested by the school nurse.


(c) Each member of the concussion oversight team must have had training in the evaluation, treatment, and oversight of concussions at the time of appointment or approval as a member of the team.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 781 (H.B. 2038), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


Amended by:


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 365 (H.B. 961), Sec. 1, eff. June 2, 2019.


Sec. 38.155. REQUIRED ANNUAL FORM ACKNOWLEDGING CONCUSSION INFORMATION. A student may not participate in an interscholastic athletic activity for a school year until both the student and the student's parent or guardian or another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the student have signed a form for that school year that acknowledges receiving and reading written information that explains concussion prevention, symptoms, treatment, and oversight and that includes guidelines for safely resuming participation in an athletic activity following a concussion. The form must be approved by the University Interscholastic League.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 781 (H.B. 2038), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


Sec. 38.156. REMOVAL FROM PLAY IN PRACTICE OR COMPETITION FOLLOWING CONCUSSION. A student shall be removed from an interscholastic athletics practice or competition immediately if one of the following persons believes the student might have sustained a concussion during the practice or competition:


(1) a coach;


(2) a physician;


(3) a licensed health care professional;


(4) a person licensed under Chapter 201, Occupations Code;


(5) a school nurse; or


(6) the student's parent or guardian or another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the student.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 781 (H.B. 2038), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 362 (H.B. 3024), Sec. 1, eff. June 1, 2017.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 365 (H.B. 961), Sec. 2, eff. June 2, 2019.


Sec. 38.157. RETURN TO PLAY IN PRACTICE OR COMPETITION. (a) A student removed from an interscholastic athletics practice or competition under Section 38.156 may not be permitted to practice or compete again following the force or impact believed to have caused the concussion until:


(1) the student has been evaluated, using established medical protocols based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence, by a treating physician chosen by the student or the student's parent or guardian or another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the student;


(2) the student has successfully completed each requirement of the return-to-play protocol established under Section 38.153 necessary for the student to return to play;


(3) the treating physician has provided a written statement indicating that, in the physician's professional judgment, it is safe for the student to return to play; and


(4) the student and the student's parent or guardian or another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the student:


(A) have acknowledged that the student has completed the requirements of the return-to-play protocol necessary for the student to return to play;


(B) have provided the treating physician's written statement under Subdivision (3) to the person responsible for compliance with the return-to-play protocol under Subsection (c) and the person who has supervisory responsibilities under Subsection (c); and


(C) have signed a consent form indicating that the person signing:


(i) has been informed concerning and consents to the student participating in returning to play in accordance with the return-to-play protocol;


(ii) understands the risks associated with the student returning to play and will comply with any ongoing requirements in the return-to-play protocol;


(iii) consents to the disclosure to appropriate persons, consistent with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Pub. L. No. 104-191), of the treating physician's written statement under Subdivision (3) and, if any, the return-to-play recommendations of the treating physician; and


(iv) understands the immunity provisions under Section 38.159.


(b) A coach of an interscholastic athletics team may not authorize a student's return to play.


(c) The school district superintendent or the superintendent's designee or, in the case of a home-rule school district or open-enrollment charter school, the person who serves the function of superintendent or that person's designee shall supervise an athletic trainer or other person responsible for compliance with the return-to-play protocol. The person who has supervisory responsibilities under this subsection may not be a coach of an interscholastic athletics team.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 781 (H.B. 2038), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


Sec. 38.158. TRAINING COURSES. (a) The University Interscholastic League shall approve for coaches of interscholastic athletic activities training courses that provide for not less than two hours of training in the subject matter of concussions, including evaluation, prevention, symptoms, risks, and long-term effects. The league shall maintain an updated list of individuals and organizations authorized by the league to provide the training.


(b) The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation shall approve for athletic trainers training courses in the subject matter of concussions and shall maintain an updated list of individuals and organizations authorized by the board to provide the training.


(c) The following persons must take a training course in accordance with Subsection (e) from an authorized training provider at least once every two years:


(1) a coach of an interscholastic athletic activity;


(2) a school nurse who serves as a member of a concussion oversight team;


(3) a licensed health care professional who serves as a member of a concussion oversight team and is an employee, representative, or agent of a school district or open-enrollment charter school; and


(4) a licensed health care professional who serves on a volunteer basis as a member of a concussion oversight team for a school district or open-enrollment charter school.


(d) A physician who serves as a member of a concussion oversight team shall, to the greatest extent practicable, periodically take an appropriate continuing medical education course in the subject matter of concussions.


(e) For purposes of Subsection (c):


(1) a coach must take a course described by Subsection (a);


(2) an athletic trainer must take:


(A) a course described by Subsection (b); or


(B) a course concerning the subject matter of concussions that has been approved for continuing education credit by the appropriate licensing authority for the profession; and


(3) a school nurse or licensed health care professional, other than an athletic trainer, must take:


(A) a course described by Subsection (a) or (b); or


(B) a course concerning the subject matter of concussions that has been approved for continuing education credit by the appropriate licensing authority for the profession.


(f) Each person described by Subsection (c) must submit proof of timely completion of an approved course in compliance with Subsection (e) to the school district superintendent or the superintendent's designee or, in the case of a home-rule school district or open-enrollment charter school, a person who serves the function of a superintendent or that person's designee.


(g) A school nurse or licensed health care professional who is not in compliance with the training requirements under this section may not serve on a concussion oversight team in any capacity.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 781 (H.B. 2038), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 324 (S.B. 1488), Sec. 6.003, eff. September 1, 2017.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 365 (H.B. 961), Sec. 3, eff. June 2, 2019.


Sec. 38.159. IMMUNITY. This subchapter does not:


(1) waive any immunity from liability of a school district or open-enrollment charter school or of district or charter school officers or employees;


(2) create any liability for a cause of action against a school district or open-enrollment charter school or against district or charter school officers or employees;


(3) waive any immunity from liability under Section 74.151, Civil Practice and Remedies Code; or


(4) create any cause of action or liability for a member of a concussion oversight team arising from the injury or death of a student participating in an interscholastic athletics practice or competition, based on service or participation on the concussion oversight team.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 781 (H.B. 2038), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


Sec. 38.160. RULES. The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to administer this subchapter.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 781 (H.B. 2038), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.


SUBCHAPTER E. MAINTENANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OF EPINEPHRINE AUTO-INJECTORS AND ASTHMA MEDICINE



Sec. 38.201. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:


(1) "Advisory committee" means the committee established under Section 38.202.


(2) "Anaphylaxis" means a sudden, severe, and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that occurs when a person is exposed to an allergen.


(3) "Epinephrine auto-injector" means a disposable medical drug delivery device that contains a premeasured single dose of epinephrine that is intended to be used to treat anaphylaxis.


(4) "Physician" means a person who holds a license to practice medicine in this state.


(5) "Private school" means a school that:


(A) offers a course of instruction for students in one or more grades from prekindergarten through grade 12;


(B) is not operated by a governmental entity; and


(C) is not a school whose students meet the definition provided by Section 29.916(a)(1).


(6) "School personnel" means an employee of a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or private school. The term includes a member of the board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school or private school.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 61 (S.B. 579), Sec. 1, eff. May 22, 2017.


Sec. 38.202. ADVISORY COMMITTEE: ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION. (a) The commissioner of state health services shall establish an advisory committee to examine and review the administration of epinephrine auto-injectors to a person experiencing an anaphylactic reaction on a campus of a school district, an open-enrollment charter school, a private school, or an institution of higher education.


(b) The advisory committee shall be composed of members appointed by the commissioner of state health services. In making appointments, the commissioner shall ensure that:


(1) a majority of the members are physicians with expertise in treating anaphylaxis, including physicians who specialize in the fields of pediatrics, allergies, asthma, and immunology;


(2) at least one member is a registered nurse employed by a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or private school as a school nurse;


(3) at least one member is an employee of a general academic teaching institution; and


(4) at least one member is an employee of a public junior college or a public technical institute.


(c) A member of the advisory committee serves at the pleasure of the commissioner of state health services.


(d) A vacancy on the advisory committee is filled by the commissioner of state health services in the same manner as other appointments to the advisory committee.


(e) In this section, "general academic teaching institution," "institution of higher education," "public junior college," and "public technical institute" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 61 (S.B. 579), Sec. 2, eff. May 22, 2017.


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 206 (S.B. 1367), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.


Sec. 38.203. ADVISORY COMMITTEE: PRESIDING OFFICER. The advisory committee shall elect a presiding officer.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Sec. 38.204. ADVISORY COMMITTEE: COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES. Members of the advisory committee serve without compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Sec. 38.205. ADVISORY COMMITTEE: APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW. Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the advisory committee.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Sec. 38.206. ADVISORY COMMITTEE: OPEN MEETINGS. Meetings of the advisory committee are subject to Chapter 551, Government Code.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Sec. 38.207. ADVISORY COMMITTEE: DUTIES. The advisory committee shall advise the commissioner of state health services on:


(1) the storage and maintenance of epinephrine auto-injectors on school campuses and campuses of institutions of higher education;


(2) the training of school personnel and school volunteers, and of personnel and volunteers at institutions of higher education, in the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector; and


(3) a plan for:


(A) one or more school personnel members or school volunteers trained in the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector to be on each school campus; and


(B) one or more personnel members or volunteers of an institution of higher education trained in the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector to be on each campus of an institution of higher education.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 206 (S.B. 1367), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2017.


Sec. 38.208. MAINTENANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OF EPINEPHRINE AUTO-INJECTORS AND ASTHMA MEDICINE. (a) Each school district, open-enrollment charter school, and private school may adopt and implement a policy regarding the maintenance, administration, and disposal of epinephrine auto-injectors at each campus in the district or school.


(a-1) Each school district, open-enrollment charter school, and private school may adopt and implement a policy authorizing a school nurse to maintain and administer asthma medicine at each campus in the district or school.


(b) If a policy is adopted under Subsection (a), the policy:


(1) must provide that school personnel and school volunteers who are authorized and trained may administer an epinephrine auto-injector to a person who is reasonably believed to be experiencing anaphylaxis on a school campus; and


(2) may provide that school personnel and school volunteers who are authorized and trained may administer an epinephrine auto-injector to a person who is reasonably believed to be experiencing anaphylaxis at an off-campus school event or while in transit to or from a school event.


(b-1) If a policy is adopted under Subsection (a-1), the policy must provide that the school nurse may administer prescription asthma medicine to a student only if the school nurse has written notification from a parent or guardian of the student that the student has been diagnosed as having asthma and stating that the school nurse may administer prescription asthma medicine to the student. A school nurse may administer the prescription asthma medicine only at a school campus.


(c) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission, in consultation with the commissioner of education, and with advice from the advisory committee as appropriate, shall adopt rules regarding the maintenance, administration, and disposal of an epinephrine auto-injector at a school campus subject to a policy adopted under Subsection (a) and the maintenance and administration of asthma medicine at a school campus subject to a policy adopted under Subsection (a-1). The rules must establish:


(1) the number of epinephrine auto-injectors available at each campus;


(2) the amount of prescription asthma medicine available at each campus;


(3) the process for each school district, open-enrollment charter school, and private school to check the inventory of epinephrine auto-injectors and asthma medicine at regular intervals for expiration and replacement; and


(4) the amount of training required for school personnel and school volunteers to administer an epinephrine auto-injector.


(d) Each school district, open-enrollment charter school, and private school that adopts a policy under Subsection (a) must require that each campus have one or more school personnel members or school volunteers authorized and trained to administer an epinephrine auto-injector present during all hours the campus is open.


(e) The supply of epinephrine auto-injectors at each campus must be stored in a secure location and be easily accessible to school personnel and school volunteers authorized and trained to administer an epinephrine auto-injector. The supply of asthma medicine at each campus must be stored in a secure location and be easily accessible to the school nurse.


(f) The policy described by Subsection (a-1) may not require a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or private school to purchase prescription asthma medicine or require any other expenditure related to the maintenance or administration of asthma medicine that would result in a negative fiscal impact on the district or school.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 61 (S.B. 579), Sec. 3, eff. May 22, 2017.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 192 (H.B. 2243), Sec. 2, eff. May 24, 2019.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 192 (H.B. 2243), Sec. 3, eff. May 24, 2019.


Sec. 38.209. REPORT ON ADMINISTERING EPINEPHRINE AUTO-INJECTOR.


(a) Not later than the 10th business day after the date a school personnel member or school volunteer administers an epinephrine auto-injector in accordance with a policy adopted under Section 38.208(a), the school shall report the information required under Subsection (b) to:


(1) the school district, the charter holder if the school is an open-enrollment charter school, or the governing body of the school if the school is a private school;


(2) the physician or other person who prescribed the epinephrine auto-injector; and


(3) the commissioner of state health services.


(b) The report required under this section must include the following information:


(1) the age of the person who received the administration of the epinephrine auto-injector;


(2) whether the person who received the administration of the epinephrine auto-injector was a student, a school personnel member or school volunteer, or a visitor;


(3) the physical location where the epinephrine auto-injector was administered;


(4) the number of doses of epinephrine auto-injector administered;


(5) the title of the person who administered the epinephrine auto-injector; and


(6) any other information required by the commissioner of education.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 61 (S.B. 579), Sec. 4, eff. May 22, 2017.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 597 (S.B. 668), Sec. 1.10, eff. June 10, 2019.


The following section was amended by the 87th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see S.B. 1267, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting the following section.



Sec. 38.210. TRAINING. (a) Each school district, open-enrollment charter school, and private school that adopts a policy under Section 38.208(a) is responsible for training school personnel and school volunteers in the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector.


(b) Training required under this section must:


(1) include information on:


(A) recognizing the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis;


(B) administering an epinephrine auto-injector;


(C) implementing emergency procedures, if necessary, after administering an epinephrine auto-injector; and


(D) properly disposing of used or expired epinephrine auto-injectors; and


(2) be provided in a formal training session or through online education and be completed annually.


(c) Each school district, open-enrollment charter school, and private school shall maintain records on the training required under this section.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 61 (S.B. 579), Sec. 5, eff. May 22, 2017.


Sec. 38.211. PRESCRIPTION OF EPINEPHRINE AUTO-INJECTORS AND ASTHMA MEDICINE. (a) A physician or person who has been delegated prescriptive authority under Chapter 157, Occupations Code, may prescribe epinephrine auto-injectors or asthma medicine in the name of a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or private school.


(b) A physician or other person who prescribes epinephrine auto-injectors or asthma medicine under Subsection (a) shall provide the school district, open-enrollment charter school, or private school with a standing order for the administration of, as applicable:


(1) an epinephrine auto-injector to a person reasonably believed to be experiencing anaphylaxis; or


(2) asthma medicine to a person reasonably believed to be experiencing a symptom of asthma and who has provided written notification and permission as required by Section 38.208(b-1).


(c) The standing order under Subsection (b) is not required to be patient-specific, and the epinephrine auto-injector or asthma medicine may be administered to a person without a previously established physician-patient relationship.


(d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, supervision or delegation by a physician is considered adequate if the physician:


(1) periodically reviews the order; and


(2) is available through direct telecommunication as needed for consultation, assistance, and direction.


(e) An order issued under this section must contain:


(1) the name and signature of the prescribing physician or other person;


(2) the name of the school district, open-enrollment charter school, or private school to which the order is issued;


(3) the quantity of epinephrine auto-injectors or asthma medicine to be obtained and maintained under the order; and


(4) the date of issue.


(f) A pharmacist may dispense an epinephrine auto-injector or asthma medicine to a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or private school without requiring the name or any other identifying information relating to the user.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 61 (S.B. 579), Sec. 6, eff. May 22, 2017.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 192 (H.B. 2243), Sec. 4, eff. May 24, 2019.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 192 (H.B. 2243), Sec. 5, eff. May 24, 2019.


Sec. 38.212. NOTICE TO PARENTS. If a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or private school implements a policy under this subchapter, the district or school shall provide written notice to a parent or guardian of each student enrolled in the district or school. Notice required under this section must be provided before a policy is implemented by the district or school and before the start of each school year.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 61 (S.B. 579), Sec. 7, eff. May 22, 2017.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 192 (H.B. 2243), Sec. 6, eff. May 24, 2019.


Sec. 38.213. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. A school district, open-enrollment charter school, or private school may accept gifts, grants, donations, and federal and local funds to implement this subchapter.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 61 (S.B. 579), Sec. 8, eff. May 22, 2017.


Sec. 38.214. RULES. Except as otherwise provided by this subchapter, the commissioner of education and the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall jointly adopt rules necessary to implement this subchapter.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 61 (S.B. 579), Sec. 9, eff. May 22, 2017.


Sec. 38.215. IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY. (a) A person who in good faith takes, or fails to take, any action under this subchapter is immune from civil or criminal liability or disciplinary action resulting from that action or failure to act, including:


(1) issuing an order for epinephrine auto-injectors or asthma medicine;


(2) supervising or delegating the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector or asthma medicine;


(3) possessing, maintaining, storing, or disposing of an epinephrine auto-injector or asthma medicine;


(4) prescribing an epinephrine auto-injector or asthma medicine;


(5) dispensing:


(A) an epinephrine auto-injector; or


(B) asthma medicine, provided that permission has been granted as provided by Section 38.208(b-1);


(6) administering, or assisting in administering, an epinephrine auto-injector or asthma medicine, provided that permission has been granted as provided by Section 38.208(b-1);


(7) providing, or assisting in providing, training, consultation, or advice in the development, adoption, or implementation of policies, guidelines, rules, or plans; or


(8) undertaking any other act permitted or required under this subchapter.


(b) The immunities and protections provided by this subchapter are in addition to other immunities or limitations of liability provided by law.


(c) Notwithstanding any other law, this subchapter does not create a civil, criminal, or administrative cause of action or liability or create a standard of care, obligation, or duty that provides a basis for a cause of action for an act or omission under this subchapter.


(d) A cause of action does not arise from an act or omission described by this section.


(e) A school district, open-enrollment charter school, or private school and school personnel and school volunteers are immune from suit resulting from an act, or failure to act, under this subchapter, including an act or failure to act under related policies and procedures.


(f) An act or failure to act by school personnel or a school volunteer under this subchapter, including an act or failure to act under related policies and procedures, is the exercise of judgment or discretion on the part of the school personnel or school volunteer and is not considered to be a ministerial act for purposes of liability of the school district or open-enrollment charter school.


Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 180 (S.B. 66), Sec. 2, eff. May 28, 2015.


Amended by:


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 61 (S.B. 579), Sec. 10, eff. May 22, 2017.


Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 192 (H.B. 2243), Sec. 7, eff. May 24, 2019.


This Subchapter F, consisting of Secs. 38.251 to 38.256, was added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 464 (S.B. 11), Sec. 19.



See also another Subchapter F, consisting of Secs. 38.301 to 38.312, as added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1.



SUBCHAPTER F. MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES



Sec. 38.251. RUBRIC TO IDENTIFY RESOURCES. (a) The agency shall develop a rubric for use by regional education service centers in identifying resources related to student mental health that are available to schools in their respective regions. The agency shall develop the rubric in conjunction with:


(1) the Health and Human Services Commission;


(2) the Department of Family and Protective Services;


(3) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department;


(4) the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;


(5) the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium;


(6) the Texas Workforce Commission; and


(7) any other state agency the agency considers appropriate.


(b) The rubric developed by the agency must provide for the identification of resources relating to:


(1) training and technical assistance on practices that support the mental health of students;


(2) school-based programs that provide prevention or intervention services to students;


(3) community-based programs that provide school-based or school-connected prevention or intervention services to students;


(4) Communities In Schools programs described by Subchapter E, Chapter 33;


(5) school-based mental health providers; and


(6) public and private funding sources available to address the mental health of students.


(c) Not later than December 1 of each odd-numbered year, the agency shall revise the rubric as necessary to reflect changes in resources that may be available to schools and provide the rubric to each regional education service center.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 464 (S.B. 11), Sec. 19, eff. June 6, 2019.


The following section was amended by the 87th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see H.B. 2287, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting the following section.



Sec. 38.252. REGIONAL INVENTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES. (a) Each regional education service center shall use the rubric developed under Section 38.251 to identify resources related to student mental health available to schools in the center's region, including evidence-based and promising programs and best practices, that:


(1) create school environments that support the social, emotional, and academic development of students;


(2) identify students who may need additional behavioral or mental health support before issues arise;


(3) provide early, effective interventions to students in need of additional support;


(4) connect students and their families to specialized services in the school or community when needed; and


(5) assist schools in aligning resources necessary to address the mental health of students.


(b) A regional education service center may consult with any entity the center considers necessary in identifying resources under Subsection (a), including:


(1) school districts;


(2) local mental health authorities;


(3) community mental health services providers;


(4) education groups;


(5) hospitals; and


(6) institutions of higher education.


(c) Not later than March 1 of each even-numbered year, each regional education service center shall:


(1) use the revised rubric received from the agency under Section 38.251 to identify, in the manner provided by this section, any additional resources that may be available to schools in the center's region; and


(2) submit to the agency a report on resources identified through the process, including any additional resources identified under Subdivision (1).


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 464 (S.B. 11), Sec. 19, eff. June 6, 2019.


The following section was amended by the 87th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see H.B. 2287, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting the following section.



Sec. 38.253. STATEWIDE INVENTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES. (a) The agency shall develop a list of statewide resources available to school districts to address the mental health of students, including:


(1) training and technical assistance on practices that support the mental health of students;


(2) school-based programs that provide prevention or intervention services to students;


(3) community-based programs that provide school-based or school-connected prevention or intervention services to students;


(4) school-based mental health providers; and


(5) public and private funding sources available to address the mental health of students.


(b) In developing the list required under Subsection (a), the agency shall collaborate with:


(1) the Health and Human Services Commission;


(2) the Department of Family and Protective Services;


(3) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department;


(4) the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;


(5) the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium;


(6) the Texas Workforce Commission;


(7) one or more representatives of Communities In Schools programs described by Subchapter E, Chapter 33, who are designated by the Communities In Schools State Office;


(8) hospitals or other health care providers;


(9) community service providers;


(10) parent, educator, and advocacy groups; and


(11) any entity the agency determines can assist the agency in compiling the list.


(c) The agency shall include on the list any resource available through an entity identified as a resource under Subsection (b), including an entity described by Subsection (b), that provides evidence-based and promising programs and best practices that:


(1) create school environments that support the social, emotional, and academic development of students;


(2) identify students who may need additional behavioral or mental health support before issues arise;


(3) provide early, effective interventions to students in need of additional support; and


(4) connect students and their families to specialized services in the school or community when needed.


(d) The agency shall revise the list not later than March 1 of each even-numbered year.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 464 (S.B. 11), Sec. 19, eff. June 6, 2019.


Sec. 38.254. STATEWIDE PLAN FOR STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH. (a) The agency shall develop a statewide plan to ensure all students have access to adequate mental health resources. The agency shall include in the plan:


(1) a description of any revisions made to the rubric required by Section 38.251;


(2) the results of the most recent regional inventory of mental health resources required by Section 38.252, including any additional resources identified;


(3) the results of the most recent statewide inventory of mental health resources required by Section 38.253, including any additional resources identified;


(4) the agency's goals for student mental health access to be applied across the state, including goals relating to:


(A) methods to objectively measure positive school climate;


(B) increasing the availability of early, effective school-based or school-connected mental health interventions and resources for students in need of additional support; and


(C) increasing the availability of referrals for students and families to specialized services for students in need of additional support outside the school;


(5) a list of actions the commissioner may take without legislative action to help all districts reach the agency's goals described by the plan; and


(6) recommendations to the legislature on methods to ensure that all districts can meet the agency's goals described in the plan through legislative appropriations or other action by the legislature.


(b) In developing the agency's goals under Subsection (a)(4), the agency shall consult with any person the agency believes is necessary to the development of the goals, including:


(1) educators;


(2) mental health practitioners;


(3) advocacy groups; and


(4) parents.


(c) The agency shall revise the plan not later than April 1 of each even-numbered year.


(d) As soon as practicable after completing or revising the plan, the agency shall:


(1) submit an electronic copy of the plan to the legislature;


(2) post the plan on the agency's Internet website; and


(3) hold public meetings in each regional education service center's region to present the statewide plan and shall provide an opportunity for public comment at each meeting.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 464 (S.B. 11), Sec. 19, eff. June 6, 2019.


Sec. 38.255. AGENCY USE OF STATEWIDE PLAN. (a) The agency shall use the statewide plan for student mental health required by Section 38.254 to develop and revise the agency's long-term strategic plan.


(b) The agency shall use the recommendations to the legislature required by Section 38.254(a)(6) to develop each agency legislative appropriations request.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 464 (S.B. 11), Sec. 19, eff. June 6, 2019.


Sec. 38.256. REPORTS TO LEGISLATURE. In addition to any other information required to be provided to the legislature under this chapter, not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year the agency shall provide to the legislature:


(1) a description of any changes the agency has made to the rubric required by Section 38.251; and


(2) an analysis of each region's progress toward meeting the agency's goals developed under Section 38.254.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 464 (S.B. 11), Sec. 19, eff. June 6, 2019.


This Subchapter F, consisting of Secs. 38.301 to 38.312, was added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1.



See also another Subchapter F, consisting of Secs. 38.251 to 38.256, as added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 464 (S.B. 11), Sec. 19.



For expiration of this subchapter, see Section 38.312.



SUBCHAPTER F. COLLABORATIVE TASK FORCE ON PUBLIC SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES



Sec. 38.301. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:


(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.


(2) "Task force" means the Collaborative Task Force on Public School Mental Health Services.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.302. ESTABLISHMENT. The Collaborative Task Force on Public School Mental Health Services is established to study and evaluate:


(1) mental health services that are funded by this state and provided at a school district or open-enrollment charter school directly to:


(A) a student enrolled in the district or school;


(B) a parent or family member of or person standing in parental relation to a student enrolled in the district or school; or


(C) an employee of the district or school;


(2) training provided to an educator employed by the district or school to provide the mental health services described by Subdivision (1); and


(3) the impact the mental health services described by Subdivision (1) have on:


(A) the number of violent incidents that occur at school districts or open-enrollment charter schools;


(B) the suicide rate of the individuals who are provided the mental health services described by Subdivision (1);


(C) the number of public school students referred to the Department of Family and Protective Services for investigation services and the reasons for those referrals;


(D) the number of individuals who are transported from each school district or open-enrollment charter school for an emergency detention under Chapter 573, Health and Safety Code; and


(E) the number of public school students referred to outside counselors in accordance with Section 38.010.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.303. MEMBERSHIP. (a) The task force is composed of:


(1) the commissioner or the commissioner's designee;


(2) the following additional members appointed by the commissioner:


(A) three parents of students who are enrolled in school districts or open-enrollment charter schools and receive the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1);


(B) one person who provides the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1) or the training described by Section 38.302(2) and who is:


(i) a licensed professional counselor, as defined by Section 503.002, Occupations Code;


(ii) a licensed clinical social worker, as defined by Section 505.002, Occupations Code; or


(iii) a school counselor certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21;


(C) one person who is a psychiatrist;


(D) two persons who are administrators of districts or schools that provide the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1) or the training described by Section 38.302(2);


(E) one person who is a member of a foundation that invests in the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1) or the training described by Section 38.302(2);


(F) one person who is an employee of an institution of higher education designated under Section 38.307; and


(G) one person who is a licensed specialist in school psychology, as defined by Section 501.002, Occupations Code; and


(3) for any other entity the task force considers necessary, one person appointed by the task force for each such entity.


(b) Appointments to the task force shall be made without regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin of the appointee.


(c) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the task force.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.304. OFFICERS. (a) The commissioner is designated as the interim presiding officer for purposes of calling and conducting the initial meeting of the task force.


(b) The task force:


(1) shall at its initial meeting select a presiding officer from among its members for the purpose of calling and conducting meetings; and


(2) may select an assistant presiding officer and a secretary from among its members.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.305. COMPENSATION; REIMBURSEMENT. A member of the task force may not receive compensation or reimbursement for service on the task force.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.306. MEETINGS. (a) After its initial meeting, the task force shall meet at least twice each year at a time and place determined by the presiding officer.


(b) The task force may meet at other times the task force considers appropriate. The presiding officer may call a meeting on the officer's own motion.


(c) The task force may meet by teleconference.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.307. SUPPORT SERVICES FOR TASK FORCE. (a) The commissioner shall designate one institution of higher education with experience in evaluating mental health services to serve as the lead institution for the task force. The institution designated under this subsection shall provide faculty, staff, and administrative support services to the task force as determined necessary by the task force to administer this subchapter.


(b) The commissioner shall designate two institutions of higher education with experience in evaluating mental health services to assist the task force and the lead institution designated under Subsection (a) as determined necessary by the task force to administer this subchapter.


(c) In making a designation under this section, the commissioner shall give preference to at least one predominantly black institution, as defined by 20 U.S.C. Section 1067q(c)(9).


(d) On request of the task force, the agency, a school district, or an open-enrollment charter school shall provide information or other assistance to the task force.


(e) The agency shall maintain the data collected by the task force and the work product of the task force in accordance with:


(1) the agency's information security plan under Section 2054.133, Government Code; and


(2) the agency's records retention schedule under Section 441.185, Government Code.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


The following section was amended by the 87th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see H.B. 2287 and H.B. 3607, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting the following section.



Sec. 38.308. DUTIES OF TASK FORCE. The task force shall:


(1) gather data on:


(A) the number of students enrolled in each school district and open-enrollment charter school;


(B) the number of individuals to whom each school district or open-enrollment charter school provides the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1);


(C) the number of individuals for whom each school district or open-enrollment charter school has the resources to provide the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1);


(D) the number of individuals described by Paragraph (B) who are referred to an inpatient or outpatient mental health provider;


(E) the number of individuals who are transported from each school district or open-enrollment charter school for an emergency detention under Chapter 573, Health and Safety Code; and


(F) the race, ethnicity, gender, special education status, educationally disadvantaged status, and geographic location of:


(i) individuals who are provided the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1);


(ii) individuals who are described by Paragraph (D); and


(iii) individuals who are described by Paragraph (E); and


(2) study, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding the mental health services described by Section 38.302(1), the training described by Section 38.302(2), and the impact of those mental health services, as described by Section 38.302(3), including addressing:


(A) the outcomes and the effectiveness of the services and training provided, including the outcomes and effectiveness of the service and training providers and the programs under which services and training are provided, in:


(i) improving student academic achievement and attendance;


(ii) reducing student disciplinary proceedings, suspensions, placements in a disciplinary alternative education program, and expulsions; and


(iii) delivering prevention and intervention services to promote early mental health skills, including:


(a) building skills relating to managing emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and making responsible decisions;


(b) preventing substance abuse;


(c) preventing suicides;


(d) adhering to the purpose of the relevant program services or training;


(e) promoting trauma-informed practices;


(f) promoting a positive school climate, as defined by Section 161.325(a-3), Health and Safety Code, in the district or school; and


(g) improving physical and emotional safety and well-being in the district or school and reducing violence in the district or school;


(B) best practices for districts and schools in implementing the services or training;


(C) disparities in the race, ethnicity, gender, special education status, and geographic location of individuals receiving the services; and


(D) best practices to replicate the services or training for all districts and schools.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.309. PRIVACY OF INFORMATION. The task force shall ensure that data gathered, information studied, and evaluations conducted under this subchapter:


(1) comply with federal law regarding confidentiality of student medical or educational information, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g), and any state law relating to the privacy of student information; and


(2) may not be shared with a federal agency or state agency, including an institution of higher education, except as otherwise provided by this subchapter or other law.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.310. REPORTS. Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year, the task force shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the agency a report of the results of the task force's activities conducted under Section 38.308 and any recommendations for legislative or other action.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.311. FUNDING; ADMINISTRATIVE COST RESTRICTION; GIFTS AND GRANTS. (a) Of state funds allocated to the agency for public school mental health services, the commissioner may provide not more than 10 percent for purposes of the task force established under this subchapter.


(b) The task force may not spend for the administration of the task force more than 10 percent of any money allocated to the task force for the purposes of this subchapter.


(c) The task force may accept a gift or grant from a person other than the federal government.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


Sec. 38.312. EXPIRATION. The task force is abolished and this subchapter expires December 1, 2025.


Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278 (H.B. 906), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2019.


SUBCHAPTER G. MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND YOUTH SUICIDE



The following section was amended by the 87th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see H.B. 3607 and S.B. 1267, 87th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting the following section.



Sec. 38.351. MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION AND INTERVENTION, SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION, AND SUICIDE PREVENTION. (a) The agency, in coordination with the Health and Human Services Commission and regional education service centers, shall provide and annually update a list of recommended best practice-based programs and research-based practices in the areas specified under Subsection (c) for implementation in public elementary, junior high, middle, and high schools within the general education setting.


(b) Each school district may select from the list provided under Subsection (a) a program or programs appropriate for implementation in the district.


(c) The list provided under Subsection (a) must include programs and practices in the following areas:


(1) early mental health prevention and intervention;


(2) building skills related to managing emotions, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and responsible decision-making;


(3) substance abuse prevention and intervention;


(4) suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention;


(5) grief-informed and trauma-informed practices;


(6) positive school climates;


(7) positive behavior interventions and supports;


(8) positive youth development; and


(9) safe, supportive, and positive school climate.


(d) For purposes of Subsection (c), "school climate" means the quality and character of school life, including interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures, as experienced by students enrolled in the school district, parents of those students, and personnel employed by the district.


(e) The suicide prevention programs on the list provided under Subsection (a) must include components that provide for training school counselors, teachers, nurses, administrators, and other staff, as well as law enforcement officers and social workers who regularly interact with students, to:


(1) recognize students at risk of attempting suicide, including students who are or may be the victims of or who engage in bullying;


(2) recognize students displaying early warning signs and a possible need for early mental health or substance abuse intervention, which warning signs may include declining academic performance, depression, anxiety, isolation, unexplained changes in sleep or eating habits, and destructive behavior toward self and others;


(3) intervene effectively with students described by Subdivision (1) or (2) by providing notice and referral to a parent or guardian so appropriate action, such as seeking mental health or substance abuse services, may be taken by a parent or guardian; and


(4) assist students in returning to school following treatment of a mental health concern or suicide attempt.


(f) In developing the list of best practice-based programs and research-based practices, the agency and the Health and Human Services Commission shall consider:


(1) any existing suicide prevention method developed by a school district; and


(2) any Internet or online course or program developed in this state or another state that is based on best practices recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.


(g) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, each school district shall provide training described in the components set forth under Subsection (e) for teachers, school counselors, principals, and all other appropriate personnel. A school district is required to provide the training at an elementary school campus only to the extent that sufficient funding and programs are available. A school district may implement a program on the list to satisfy the requirements of this subsection.


(h) If a school district provides the training under Subsection (g):


(1) a school district employee described under that subsection must participate in the training at least one time; and


(2) the school district shall maintain records that include the name of each district employee who participated in the training.


(i) A school district shall develop practices and procedures concerning each area listed in Subsection (c), including mental health promotion and intervention, substance abuse prevention and intervention, and suicide prevention, that:


(1) include a procedure for providing notice of a recommendation for early mental health or substance abuse intervention regarding a student to a parent or guardian of the student within a reasonable amount of time after the identification of early warning signs as described by Subsection (e)(2);


(2) include a procedure for providing notice of a student identified as at risk of attempting suicide to a parent or guardian of the student within a reasonable amount of time after the identification of early warning signs as described by Subsection (e)(2);


(3) establish that the district may develop a reporting mechanism and may designate at least one person to act as a liaison officer in the district for the purposes of identifying students in need of early mental health or substance abuse intervention or suicide prevention;


(4) set out available counseling alternatives for a parent or guardian to consider when their child is identified as possibly being in need of early mental health or substance abuse intervention or suicide prevention; and


(5) include procedures:


(A) to support the return of a student to school following hospitalization or residential treatment for a mental health condition or substance abuse; and


(B) for suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.


(j) The practices and procedures developed under Subsection (i):


(1) may address multiple areas listed in Subsection (c) together; and


(2) must prohibit the use without the prior consent of a student's parent or guardian of a medical screening of the student as part of the process of identifying whether the student is possibly in need of early mental health or substance abuse intervention or suicide prevention.


(k) The practices and procedures developed under Subsection (i) must be included in:


(1) the annual student handbook; and


(2) the district improvement plan under Section 11.252.


(l) The agency shall develop and make available to school districts guiding principles on the coordination of programs and practices in areas listed under Subsection (c).


(m) The agency, the Health and Human Services Commission, and each regional education service center:


(1) may accept donations for purposes of this section from sources without a conflict of interest; and


(2) may not accept donations for purposes of this section from an anonymous source.


(n) Nothing in this section is intended to interfere with the rights of parents or guardians and the decision-making regarding the best interest of the child. Practices and procedures developed in accordance with this section are intended to notify a parent or guardian of a need for mental health or substance abuse intervention so that a parent or guardian may take appropriate action. Nothing in this section shall be construed as giving school districts the authority to prescribe medications. Any and all medical decisions are to be made by a parent or guardian of a student.


(o) In this section, "postvention" includes activities that promote healing necessary to reduce the risk of suicide by a person affected by the suicide of another.


Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1134 (H.B. 1386), Sec. 3, eff. June 17, 2011.


Amended by:


Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 578 (S.B. 831), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2013.


Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 578 (S.B. 831), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2013.


Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1321 (S.B. 460), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2013.


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 522 (S.B. 179), Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2017.


Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 714 (H.B. 4056), Sec. 1, eff. June 12, 2017.


Reenacted, transferred, redesignated and amended by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 1.21, eff. December 1, 2019.


Sec. 38.352. IMMUNITY. This subchapter does not:


(1) waive any immunity from liability of a school district or of district school officers or employees;


(2) create any liability for a cause of action against a school district or against district school officers or employees; or


(3) waive any immunity from liability under Section 74.151, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.


Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1321 (S.B. 460), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2013.


Reenacted, transferred, redesignated and amended by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 352 (H.B. 18), Sec. 1.21, eff. December 1, 2019.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
EDUCATION CODE CHAPTER 38. HEALTH AND SAFETY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
EDUCATION CODE TITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION SUBTITLE G. SAFE SCHOOLS CHAPTER 38. HEALTH AND SAFETY SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS Sec. 38.001. IMMUNIZATION; REQUIREMENTS; EXCEPTIONS. (a) Each student shall be fully immunized against diphtheria, rubeola, rubella, mumps, tetanus, and poliomyelitis, except as provided by Subsection (c).

# data[].attributes.headline
Slide #8: Students with Dyslexia and Related Disorders. Texas Administration Code §74.28 – State Administrative Law

# data[].attributes.subject
Slide #8: Students with Dyslexia and Related Disorders. Texas Administration Code §74.28 – State Administrative Law

# data[].attributes.body
Texas Administrative Code requires school districts and open-enrollment charter schools

provide each student with dyslexia access to each program under which the students qualify for services.

ensure that the procedures for identification and instruction are in place.

provide written notification of proposed identification to the student’s parent/guardian at least five school days in advance.

ensure the procedures for identifying a student with dyslexia and the procedures for providing appropriate instructional services to the student are implemented in the district.

purchase or develop programs that include descriptors list in the Dyslexia Handbook.

inform parents of all services and options available to dyslexia under IDEA or Section 504.

provide students with service of a teacher trained in dyslexia.

provide a parent education program

Link to law: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter074/ch074c.html
Reference:
Students with Dyslexia and Related Disorders, Tex. Admin. Code §74.28

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Education rules concerning other curriculum provisions

# data[].attributes.headline
Slide #9: Dear Colleague Letter with Dyslexia Guidance of U. S. Department Education was issued on October 23, 2015 - Federal Administrative Law

# data[].attributes.subject
Slide #9: Dear Colleague Letter with Dyslexia Guidance of U. S. Department Education was issued on October 23, 2015 - Federal Administrative Law

# data[].attributes.body
Dear Colleague Letter provides guidelines for ensuring a high-quality education for children with specific learning disabilities particularly dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. It clarifies that nothing in the IDEA that would prohibit the use if the term dyslexia in IDEA evaluation, eligible determinations, or IEP documents. The purpose of the letter is to response the complaints that State and local educational agencies are reluctant to use these specific terms in the context of developing an IEP and support to parents who complain that their schools are unwilling to test for dyslexia or to include provisions targeted toward dyslexia in their child’s IEP.
Link to letter: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/guidance-on-dyslexia-10-2015.pdf

Reference:
Yudin, M. (2015, October 23). Dear Colleague Letter. Washington, DC: U. S. Department Education. Office for Civil Rights. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/guidance-on-dyslexia-10-2015.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
Slide #10: San Angelo School Board Policy

# data[].attributes.subject
Slide #10: San Angelo School Board Policy

# data[].attributes.body
The San Angelo Board local policy on curriculum design-special program states that the districts provide each student with dyslexia access to each program under which the students qualify for services. A board ensures that procedures are implemented for identify and appropriate evidence-based instructional services to students with dyslexia. District procedures must be implemented according to SBOE approved strategies for screening, individualized evaluations, and techniques for treatment of dyslexia (San Angelo ISD, 2019).

Resource:
San Angelo Board (2019). Board policy manual §EHB. Retrieved from https://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/1139?filename=EHB(LEGAL).pdf

# data[].attributes.body
As an educator, I will act and take actions based on the Texas Educators’ Code of Ethics. When I work with dyslexic students, I specifically maintain the standard 1.7 which guides me to comply with state regulations, written local school board policy, and other state federal laws (19 TAC §247.2) by following the screening procedures and using the approved appropriate strategies to teach students with dyslexia as well as using approved technology integration for students with dyslexia.

Resource:
Educators’ Code of Ethics, 19 Tex. Admin. Code §247.2. Retrieved from
https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=7&ch=247&rl=2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Enforceable Standards.
(1) Professional Ethical Conduct, Practices and Performance. (A) Standard 1.1. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly engage in deceptive practices regarding official policies of the school district, educational institution, educator preparation program, the Texas Education Agency, or the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and its certification process. (B) Standard 1.2. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly misappropriate, divert, or use monies, personnel, property, or equipment committed to his or her charge for personal gain or advantage. (C) Standard 1.3. The educator shall not submit fraudulent requests for reimbursement, expenses, or pay. (D) Standard 1.4. The educator shall not use institutional or professional privileges for personal or partisan advantage. (E) Standard 1.5. The educator shall neither accept nor offer gratuities, gifts, or favors that impair professional judgment or that are used to obtain special advantage. This standard shall not restrict the acceptance of gifts or tokens offered and accepted openly from students, parents of students, or other persons or organizations in recognition or appreciation of service. (F) Standard 1.6. The educator shall not falsify records, or direct or coerce others to do so. (G) Standard 1.7. The educator shall comply with state regulations, written local school board policies, and other state and federal laws. (H) Standard 1.8. The educator shall apply for, accept, offer, or assign a position or a responsibility on the basis of professional qualifications. (I) Standard 1.9. The educator shall not make threats of violence against school district employees, school board members, students, or parents of students. (J) Standard 1.10. The educator shall be of good moral character and be worthy to instruct or supervise the youth of this state. (K) Standard 1.11. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly misrepresent his or her employment history, criminal history, and/or disciplinary record when applying for subsequent employment. (L) Standard 1.12. The educator shall refrain from the illegal use, abuse, or distribution of controlled substances, prescription drugs, and toxic inhalants. (M) Standard 1.13. The educator shall not be under the influence of alcohol or consume alcoholic beverages on school property or during school activities when students are present. (2) Ethical Conduct Toward Professional Colleagues. (A) Standard 2.1. The educator shall not reveal confidential health or personnel information concerning colleagues unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law. (B) Standard 2.2. The educator shall not harm others by knowingly making false statements about a colleague or the school system. (C) Standard 2.3. The educator shall adhere to written local school board policies and state and federal laws regarding the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of personnel. (D) Standard 2.4. The educator shall not interfere with a colleague's exercise of political, professional, or citizenship rights and responsibilities. (E) Standard 2.5. The educator shall not discriminate against or coerce a colleague on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, disability, family status, or sexual orientation. (F) Standard 2.6. The educator shall not use coercive means or promise of special treatment in order to influence professional decisions or colleagues. (G) Standard 2.7. The educator shall not retaliate against any individual who has filed a complaint with the SBEC or who provides information for a disciplinary investigation or proceeding under this chapter. (H) Standard 2.8. The educator shall not intentionally or knowingly subject a colleague to sexual harassment. (3) Ethical Conduct Toward Students. (A) Standard 3.1. The educator shall not reveal confidential information concerning students unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law. (B) Standard 3.2. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly treat a student or minor in a manner that adversely affects or endangers the learning, physical health, mental health, or safety of the student or minor. (C) Standard 3.3. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly misrepresent facts regarding a student. (D) Standard 3.4. The educator shall not exclude a student from participation in a program, deny benefits to a student, or grant an advantage to a student on the basis of race, color, gender, disability, national origin, religion, family status, or sexual orientation. (E) Standard 3.5. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly engage in physical mistreatment, neglect, or abuse of a student or minor. (F) Standard 3.6. The educator shall not solicit or engage in sexual conduct or a romantic relationship with a student or minor. (G) Standard 3.7. The educator shall not furnish alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drugs to any person under 21 years of age unless the educator is a parent or guardian of that child or knowingly allow any person under 21 years of age unless the educator is a parent or guardian of that child to consume alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drugs in the presence of the educator. (H) Standard 3.8. The educator shall maintain appropriate professional educator-student relationships and boundaries based on a reasonably prudent educator standard. (I) Standard 3.9. The educator shall refrain from inappropriate communication with a student or minor, including, but not limited to, electronic communication such as cell phone, text messaging, email, instant messaging, blogging, or other social network communication. Factors that may be considered in assessing whether the communication is inappropriate include, but are not limited to: (i) the nature, purpose, timing, and amount of the communication; (ii) the subject matter of the communication; (iii) whether the communication was made openly, or the educator attempted to conceal the communication; (iv) whether the communication could be reasonably interpreted as soliciting sexual contact or a romantic relationship; (v) whether the communication was sexually explicit; and (vi) whether the communication involved discussion(s) of the physical or sexual attractiveness or the sexual history, activities, preferences, or fantasies of either the educator or the student.

# data[].attributes.body
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) provides Advocacy Toolkit resources to support parents and educators with research and other tools to advocate for the best practices based on the science of reading. Also, the IDA has formed the advocacy tack force to empower and support advocacy to implement evidence-based, comprehensive literacy practices related to dyslexia in every classroom (IDA, 2019).

Resource:
Advocacy Toolkit. International Dyslexia Association. Retrieved from https://dyslexiaida.org/advocacy-toolkit/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) has formed the IDA Advocacy Task Force to empower and support advocacy by third party advocates including, but not limited to, IDA Branches, Decoding Dyslexia state groups and other affiliated groups, at the local, state and federal levels of government to implement evidence-based, comprehensive literacy practices in every classroom in the United States (and partnering countries).

The task force is also developing a toolkit of resources to support parents and educators with research and other tools to advocate for best practices based on the science of reading. Check out the following links for a sample of the type of content to be included:

Research to Support Implementation

Resources to Support Implementation
Organizations Focused on Reading Beyond Dyslexia Laws Presentation Slides
Influencing Policy in Your School District Infographic

This toolkit is a work in progress, so check back often often for new items. You can also subscribe to our mailing list for updates on our progress.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is pleased to present a forum for information to benefit its constituents. It is IDA's policy to not recommend or endorse any specific program, product, institution, company, or instructional material, noting that there are a number of such that present the critical components of instruction as defined by IDA's Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading. Any opinions expressed in these resources and/or via links do not necessarily reflect those of IDA.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Advocacy Toolkit - International Dyslexia Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) has formed the IDA Advocacy Task Force to empower and support advocacy by third party advocates including, but not limited to, IDA Branches, Decoding Dyslexia state groups and other affiliated groups, at the local, state and federal levels of government to implement evidence-based, comprehensive literacy practices in every classroom in ...

# data[].attributes.body
The following are specific recommendations and practices that elementary teachers can use as they work with dyslexia students.
1. By understanding the underlining processes and causes of reading difficulties of dyslexia, teachers can help to support dyslexic students learning at the early age by providing effective instructional strategies and appropriate accommodations into reading interventions.

2. Teachers can seek out knowledge and get familiar with the state laws and school board policies to work with dyslexic students involving explicit, intense, systematic identification and intervention of dyslexia in their teaching.

3. Teachers continue to look for updated information and professional training related to working with dyslexic students from the accredited dyslexia training programs or online resources so that teachers can be better able to evaluate evidence-based comprehensive literacy practices and assistive technologies to help reading difficulties of dyslexic students.

4. Teachers should be aware of the signs of dyslexic students’ struggling since dyslexia ranges in type and severity and many students are not diagnosed until adulthood. It is vital to begin using screening or testing early to get the proper support before they fall to behind their grade levels which impact their learning experiences.

5. Teachers can keep high expectations and motivation for dyslexic students to help them build their confidence in their learning as well as  encourage them to explore different ways to improve their reading abilities.

6. Teachers can share information about the dyslexic students’ strength and weakness with parents and help them to understand how to help their children to cope with dyslexic students' reading difficulties. Also, teacher can engage parents in the process of identifying the best practices for their children (Hudson, n.d).
Reference:

Hudson, F., High, L., Otaiba, S. (n.d). Dyslexia and the brain: what does current research tell us? The Reading Teacher. Retrieved from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/dyslexia-and-brain-what-does-current-research-tell-us